A bill which would impose a maximum limit on MPs of three terms in office failed to be sent to a plenary session of parliament on Wednesday after being discussed in the House legal affairs committee.

Committee chairman and Disy MP Nicos Tornaritis said after the committee meeting that the bill “requires further discussion”.

“It is well known that an internal decision has been made within Disy and a limit of three terms has been implemented,” he said, adding that as such, he will not seek re-election next year, having first been elected to parliament in 2001.

However, Dipa MP Marinos Mousiouttas, who had put the bill forward, was less than impressed by the lack of progress on the matter.

He said Disy MPs had told him that their party “disagrees on the issue of three terms”, despite having implemented the rule internally, while Akel MPs had told him that their party “needs further time to discuss both issues”.

Of Diko, his former party, he said no MPs from the party were present at Wednesday’s committee meeting, and that as such, “I cannot know what the party’s position is”.

“The emerging majority is kicking the issue into the long grass. This is very sad, because when parties which come and say they have implemented term limits in their internal regulations, they unfortunately do not have the strength to go one step further and pass a law on the matter when a bill is actually put forward,” he said.

“We believe and we will continue to fight for this issue. Someone cannot be in office for life, regardless of whether the people want it.”

Disy and Akel both already limit their MPs to serving a maximum of three terms, while Edek and the Green party only allow their MPs to serve a maximum of two terms. Diko, Dipa, and Elam all have no internal party regulations dictating term limits for their MPs.

Mousiouttas’ bill comes off the back of MPs having voted in 2019 to limit presidents and vice presidents to a maximum of two terms. This law means that if Nikos Christodoulides wins re-election in 2028, he will be unable to run for office in 2033.

The office of vice president of the Republic of Cyprus has been vacant since Rauf Denktash was deposed by a coup d’état sponsored by Greece’s military junta of the day on July 15, 1974.

The role has subsequently remained unfilled since the subsequent Turkish invasion of the island five days later.