Direct Democracy MPs condemned for mocking human rights committee

House human rights committee chairman and Akel MP Christos Christofides on Monday condemned a video in which two Direct Democracy MPs said “no one understood anything” during a committee discussion on technology. The video was posted by Yiannis Laouris and Diana Constantinidou after the committee’s session last week on neurotechnology and human rights. Christofides raised it before the agenda began, calling the remarks “derogatory and mocking”. He said they breached the House code of ethics, which requires respect for colleagues and abstention from offensive behaviour, in and outside parliament. He said the video presented the participating MPs collectively as people who did not understand the subject, and asked both Direct Democracy MPs to retract their comments. The session had invited university representatives, scientists, state agencies and independent authorities. Alma MP Irene Charalambides filed a letter on behalf of her party saying it was legitimate for an MP to admit personal difficulty with a specialised subject but not to lambast all colleagues. ‘Entirely understandable’ Fellow party member Litsa Drousiotou replied that the subject was entirely understandable to her. The letter also argued that parliament already has the structures to examine artificial intelligence and asked party leaders meeting not to set up a new ad hoc committee. That request touches on a separate dispute, for Laouris claimed that when Direct Democracy met the House president Annita Demetriou after his election, she said the party would get the AI committee, if one is set up. Laouris apologised, though he remarked that he is the only neurophysiologist in Cyprus and is at the committee’s disposal. Constantinidou said she denied breaching any code of ethics and reserved the right to reply. The exchange became heated, for when Charalambides asked to respond, Constantinidou said her time was up. Charalambides retorted that it is the chairman alone who decides who speaks. “I am living in an unprecedented situation, to be deprived of the floor by a colleague!” she exclaimed.