No comment for now over accusations of verbal abuse in parliament, House President says

The House ethics committee will convene on Tuesday to discuss the incident which took place earlier in the week between parliamentary assistant for the Green Party Efi Xanthou and Elam MP Andreas Themistokleous, House President Annita Demetriou said on Sunday.

Xanthou on Wednesday accused Themistokleous of verbally abusing her during a session of the House education committee, where she sat in the committee as a parliamentary assistant.

Xanthou, which is also the party’s deputy chairperson and Theopemptou’s parliamentary assistant, put her hand up to respond in the absence of a Greens MP, which apparently angered Themistokleous and caused him to demand she gets kicked out of the room.

Things escalated further when he apparently got up and moved towards Xanthou shouting: “You are nothing in here, get out. When you get elected by the people you will have the right to speak in parliament.”

Dipa MP Alecos Tryfonides was forced to restrain Themistokleous, pulling his shirt. The shouting was loud enough where MPs convening in a separate committee heard the fracas.

Speaking to reporters, Demetriou said that during the House ethics committee slated for Tuesday, members would be called to decide what course of action should be taken.

Themistokleous and Xanthou have also been invited to attend so their views will be heard.

Demetriou said she had read the minutes of the session but refrained from commenting, as it could be seen as influencing the decision of the House ethics committee.

Responding to a journalist’s remark that Themistokleous has been implicated in similar incidents in the past, the House president said there was no report at the moment.

In the case where the majority of MPs in the House ethics committee decide on Tuesday that action should be taken over Themistokleous’ behaviour, this could range from oral or written warnings or he could be called to make a public apology to the House plenum.