The plenary session of the Cypriot Parliament elected 36-year-old member of the Democratic Rally, Annita Demetriou, as the new Speaker of the Legislative Body.
Demetriou was elected with 25 votes in the second ballot, beating the other six candidates who were the leaders of the opposition parties, Proto Thema reported.
She is the first woman Speaker of Parliament since the founding of the Republic of Cyprus in 1960.
Demetriou has been Vice President of the ruling Democratic Rally Party (DISY) since February 1, 2020.
She studied Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cyprus and holds a Master's Degree in International Relations and European Studies from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom.
In 2016, she was the first woman to be elected Member of Parliament for the Larnaca constituency.
Demetriou was Secretary of Parliament, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Culture, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Equal Opportunities between Men and Women.
In addition, she was member of the Parliamentary Committee for Monitoring Development Plans and Controlling Public Finances.
She was the spokesperson of the President of the Republic Nikos Anastasiadis in the 2018 presidential elections.
In August 2019 she was appointed by the Board of Directors of the Network of Women Political Leaders (WPL), as Ambassador of the Network on behalf of the House of Representatives.
Demetriou has been selected by the French government to participate in the PIPA in Paris in April 2018 and has been selected by the U.S. Government (International Visitor Leadership Program) to observe the March 2020 U.S. primary elections.
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