Demetriou seeks permanent replacement after Koulias fracas

House President Annita Demetriou is set to table the issue of who will fill her shoes when she is temporarily away before party leaders at the House, she said on Tuesday.

Speaking a day after the fracas that unfolded when Diko MP Zacharias Koulias almost stepped in as acting President of the Republic, she said the matter would be tabled in the next party leaders meeting slated for September 26.

As per the constitution, when the President of the Republic is away, the House President takes on the role of acting President.

Should the House President also be away or temporarily indisposed, then the oldest member of parliament takes on the role “unless otherwise decided,” Demetriou said citing article 72.3 of the constitution.

“At this stage, the need for parliament to take a decision on the permanent replacement of the Speaker of the Parliament stems as a result of recent public statements on the appointment of the auditor-general, which has caused unnecessary institutional tensions that demand the issue is permanently tackled, primarily for reasons of ensuring the necessary institutional stability and order,” Demetrious said.

She said it was “imperative” she table the matter in the next meeting.

House audit chairman and Diko MP Koulias, also the oldest member of the House, earlier this week prompted a crisis within the presidential palace when he said he would appoint a new auditor-general on Wednesday when he was due to take on the role of acting President.

With President Nikos Christodoulides in New York and Demetriou slated to head to Malta, Koulias said he would be acting President at 10:20am and by 10:21am would appoint a new auditor-general, to replace recently fired Odysseas Michaelides.

He had already offered the post to economist Stelios Platis who agreed but said he knew “the establishment” would never let it happen.

In a bid to avert a possible crisis as Koulias said he was not bluffing, Demetriou announced she would not be travelling to Malta and would instead remain in Cyprus.

“We cannot allow a crisis to cause another crisis,” she said.