Cyprus passes constitutional amendment on environment despite procedural controversy

The House of Representatives President Annita Demetriou has taken personal responsibility for procedural issues that arose during Thursday’s parliamentary session concerning a constitutional amendment. [ . . . ] The amendment, which seeks to establish a constitutional right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, passed with 37 votes, one short of the 38 legally required for constitutional changes. [ . . . ] The vote was marked by confusion when it was initially discovered that the chamber lacked the minimum number of MPs required for a constitutional amendment. After nearly an hour of disputes, some MPs hurriedly returned to the chamber for the vote. Despite objections from some MPs about the validity of passing a constitutional amendment with fewer than 38 votes, parliamentary services confirmed there was precedent for such action, and the amendment was ultimately deemed legally approved.
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