As soon as the results of the parliamentary elections were announced, all public attention shifted to who will be the next president of the House of Representatives. It has been the main news story in newspapers, on radio, television and social media the last few days, although it is based entirely on speculation and gossip or interpretations of public remarks by politicians.

So far, it has been reported that Elam had ruled out backing Disy leader Annita Demetriou for a second term and any member of Akel; it could back other Disy personalities. Meanwhile Diko chief, Nikolas Papadopoulos has been meeting the leaders of other parties promoting himself for the post, but everyone is keeping their cards close to their chest. Odysseas Michaelides has ruled out Alma backing Papadopoulos, whom he met earlier in the week, and was pushing his deputy Irini Charlambidou. Elam leader Christos Christou would put forward his name, even though there is no chance of advancing to the second round of voting.

Is the media attaching way too much importance to the election to what is essentially ceremonial post? The speaker of the House is second in the state hierarchy, because there is no vice president (a state position that, according to the constitution, should be occupied by a Turkish Cypriot), but has no executive power. The speaker is considered acting president when the president of the Republic is out of the country, but does not exercise power, although they may chair a council of ministers meeting if something needs to be approved urgently.

The main role of the House president (a title that sounds much grander than ‘speaker’), as everyone knows, is to chair the meetings of the plenum, decide the agenda of the legislature and ensure deputies comply with the legislature’s code of ethics. That is the real extent of his powers,  stipulated by the constitution. Our political system, however, promotes the idea that a deputy elected by other deputies to chair meetings of the House plenum should be treated as vice president, and enjoy special privileges, after leaving this post, such as a state limo, police guard and a host of allowances. If our state did not make a habit of voting special privileges for state officials, a speaker would enjoy the same benefits and payments as all other deputies on retirement.

The high status, many benefits and zero responsibility or accountability for anything is what makes the post so attractive to deputies and the reason for all the horse-trading going on this week. For ordinary people, however, it does not matter one little bit, who is elected House speaker next week, as most deputies are capable of chairing a house plenum and exchanging pleasantries with visiting foreign dignitarie.