A majority has been formed in favour of releasing €600,000 in funding for the purchase of a new presidential limousine.
DISY, DIKO, AKEL, ELAM and Direct Democracy backed the release of the funds, while ALMA was the only party to oppose it.
The release of the funding appeared likely to secure the required majority from early on, after DISY, DIKO and ELAM had already expressed support.
The decision follows a debate over the purchase of the new armoured vehicle and whether the relevant funding should be released.
Christodoulides says he was unaware
President Nikos Christodoulides said he had not been aware of plans to purchase a new armoured limousine, saying he learned about the matter through the media.
He described the disclosure as an “intentional leak” from the House of Representatives aimed at harming the President and warned that such actions ultimately undermine the credibility of institutions.
Christodoulides said Presidents should not necessarily be informed about security matters or how the competent state services decide to act to ensure their safety.
He said he was certain that other leaders, including the Prime Ministers of Greece and Israel and the Presidents of Egypt and France, would similarly not be aware of such security arrangements.
The President also said he has repeatedly raised concerns about the use of official vehicles, explaining that as a father he would prefer to use his private car for personal occasions.
However, he said that when he did so once, he received “very serious remarks” from officials responsible not for the security of Nikos Christodoulides personally, but for the security of the President of the Republic.
DIKO MP questions leak claim
DIKO MP Chrysis Pantelides described the President’s conclusion about the source of the leak as rushed and misguided.
Speaking on a radio programme, Pantelides noted that the letter concerning the purchase had also been sent to the Ministry of Transport and the Department of Electrical and Mechanical Services.
He said the author of the letter had the right to classify it as confidential, but argued that the correct protocol for marking a document as confidential had not been followed.
“I do not want to get into a dispute with the President over where the specific letter was leaked from,” Pantelides said, noting that the document had been received by a large number of people.
He added that confidential documents should carry a clearly visible classification, using features such as diagonal lettering, different colours and repeated markings.
According to Pantelides, MPs were surprised to learn that the letter was considered confidential because the relevant marking was written in small letters and required careful examination to identify.
Public opinion divided
The SigmaLive English team spoke to members of the public to gauge their views on the proposed purchase. Responses were mixed, with some saying that the purchase should proceed if officials have determined that it is necessary.
Others questioned whether the expenditure should be prioritised, arguing that the funds could instead be directed towards more pressing social needs. Among the groups mentioned were low-income pensioners, single-parent families and refugees.
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