Our View: Disy leader’s proposal for a vice president is moot

It was extremely difficult to understand the reasoning behind the proposal by Disy leader and presidential candidate Averof Neophytou for the introduction of a vice president to the political system. An election speech to supporters in Nicosia was neither the place or the time to float such an idea especially as it would require consultations with other parties to get it off the ground and also require changes to the constitution.

In other words, it would not materialise before the presidential elections of 2028, at the earliest, which makes the proposal pointless at this moment in time. Was Neophytou hoping to win votes by coming up with the idea for a vice president? No voter would cast a vote in his favour because of this or the other proposal (appointment of state officials and supreme court judges to be ratified by the legislature) he made at the Tuesday night gathering, also drawn from the US political system.

The Republic’s constitution has a provision for a vice president but he or she would have to be a Turkish Cypriot. Was Neophytou proposing that each presidential candidate should have a Turkish Cypriot running mate as VP or would the person be a Greek Cypriot? In the constitution, the Turkish Cypriot VP exercises checks and balance on the Greek Cypriot president, but we doubt this was what Neophytou had in mind, hence the need to amend the provisions of the constitution.

In one sense the absence of a VP since 1964, has given every president of the Republic excessive powers, verging on dictatorial, a point acknowledged by Neophytou when subsequently elaborating on his proposal.

The only checks on power are exercised by the legislature which can reject the state budget and government bills, but otherwise the president is all-powerful. He appoints the council of ministers which is the decision-making executive body, supreme court judges, all state officials and boards of public organisations. presidential accountability so as has been shown on countless occasions over the years the absence of a Turkish Cypriot VP is theoretical.

A VP along the lines proposed by Neophytou would not limit the president’s super-powers so he/she would change nothing in the political system. In the US, the VP has no real powers and his/her primary role is to stand in if the president is unable to perform his duties. In Cyprus, in such a case, the responsibility would fall to the President of the House, until elections are held, so there does not seem to be any need for a VP.

Neophytou explained that limits should be placed on powers of the president, and he was right, but we doubt this can be achieved by opening a position for a VP, who will have been chosen by the president.