Cyprus’s political landscape faces significant restructuring as the Interior Ministry warns that the Nicosia district may lose one parliamentary seat to Paphos due to shifting population balances, fundamentally altering the electoral map ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.
The Ministry of Interior has issued letters to political party leaders alerting them to the emerging situation, which would see Nicosia’s representation drop from 20 seats to 19, whilst Paphos would gain a fifth seat, increasing from four.
Interior Ministry warns parties of impending constituency changes
The seat allocation will be finalised in less than one month, as recent electoral law amendments stipulate that constituency representation is determined based on the electoral register as of 2 October. This represents a critical deadline for any potential intervention to maintain current arrangements.
The number of seats for each district will be locked in less than a month; as with the recent amendment to electoral legislation, their distribution is determined based on the electoral list of 2 October, the Ministry stated in its correspondence.
The warning comes as new voter registrations remain dramatically low, with only 169 new registrations recorded between 2 July and 27 August. The Ministry noted that whilst new voters may continue registering until 2 April, these late registrations will not affect the electoral map configuration.
October deadline crucial for final seat allocation
The redistribution extends beyond the two affected districts, as changes in seat allocation alter the electoral quotient, directly impacting vote-counting mechanisms and political balances across all constituencies.
Additionally, Nicosia voters will have fewer preference votes available due to the reduced number of seats.
Under Article 4 of the Election of Members of the House of Representatives (Amendment) (No. 2) Law of 2025, published in the Official Gazette on 13 June 2025, constituency seat allocation is determined by the number of registered voters in each electoral district based on the supplementary electoral register of 2 October in the year preceding elections.
The Electoral Service provided detailed tables in its letter showing current data following the latest register closure on 2 July.
The correspondence emphasised that information was being transmitted “as we enter the final quarter of electoral register revision, based on which parliamentary seat reallocation among electoral constituencies may occur ahead of the 2026 Parliamentary Elections”.
Political parties now face a crucial decision: mobilise voters in Nicosia for immediate registration or accept the redistribution that reflects demographic shifts across the island.
The traditionally low public engagement during non-election periods suggests minimal voter registration activity, making intervention challenging within the remaining timeframe.
Electoral registers are revised quarterly on 2 January, 2 April, 2 July, and 2 October each year under Article 101 of the Population Register Law, with the October revision proving decisive for the 2026 electoral configuration.