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Annita Demetriou has been elected Speaker of the House of Representatives for a second consecutive term after receiving 29 votes in the second round of voting held on Thursday.
Born in Troulloi, Larnaca, on October 18, 1985, Demetriou studied Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cyprus before completing postgraduate studies in International Relations and European Studies at the University of Kent.
Her political career began at local government level. In 2011, she won election as a community councillor in Troulloi under the banner of DISY, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She later took on party responsibilities in the district, including roles as secretary of the local DISY organisation and financial manager for the party in Larnaca.
In preparation for the 2016 parliamentary elections, DISY selected Demetriou as one of its candidates. She went on to win the highest number of votes in the Larnaca district and entered Parliament as a member of the 11th legislative term.
During her time as an MP, she worked on several parliamentary committees covering human rights, gender equality, education, culture, environmental issues, public spending oversight and development projects. She also held the position of Secretary of the House.
Demetriou took on a national campaign role during the 2018 presidential election, acting as spokesperson for the campaign of then-President Nicos Anastasiades.
Her influence within DISY continued to grow when she was elected vice-president of the party in February 2020. A year later, she retained her parliamentary seat in the 2021 elections.
Following those elections, DISY leader Averof Neofytou nominated her for the presidency of the House of Representatives. She was elected Speaker on June 10, 2021, with support from DISY, ELAM and DIPA.
In the lead-up to the 2023 presidential election, Demetriou publicly backed Averof Neofytou's candidacy. After his defeat, DISY launched an internal leadership contest. Demetriou entered the race for party president in February 2023 and won decisively in the March vote.
She secured 14,287 votes, representing 69.1 per cent of the total, defeating fellow DISY politician Dimitris Demetriou, who received 6,365 votes, or 30.8 per cent.
With her re-election as Speaker, Demetriou remains one of the most prominent figures in Cypriot politics, having progressed from local government to the leadership of both Parliament and the country's largest political party.
