Cyprus · Constitution
Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus
The independence constitution of 1960, negotiated with Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom, built on power-sharing between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities: a Greek Cypriot President, a Turkish Cypriot Vice-President with veto rights, communal chambers and fixed ratios in the public service. After the intercommunal breakdown of 1963 the Turkish Cypriot officeholders withdrew, and the Supreme Court's doctrine of necessity has since sustained the state's functioning without those provisions. Accession to the EU in 2004 required further amendment to accept the primacy of EU law.
The constitutional text
The independence constitution of 1960, negotiated with Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom, built on power-sharing between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities: a Greek Cypriot President, a Turkish Cypriot Vice-President with veto rights, communal chambers and fixed ratios in the public service. After the intercommunal breakdown of 1963 the Turkish Cypriot officeholders withdrew, and the Supreme Court's doctrine of necessity has since sustained the state's functioning without those provisions. Accession to the EU in 2004 required further amendment to accept the primacy of EU law.
Separation of powers
Unitary, with districts administered centrally and elected municipalities. In practice the government exercises effective control over roughly the southern two-thirds of the island; the north has been separately administered since 1974 under an entity recognised only by Turkey, and the application of the EU acquis is suspended there under Protocol 10 to the Accession Treaty. The atlas describes the law of the Republic and notes where it is not effectively applied.
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