The Cyprus Constitution was adopted in 1960. According to its content, Cyprus is proclaimed a presidential republic. The capital of the country is the city of Nicosia. At the moment, it is a truly divided capital, since after the Turkish invasion of 1974, approximately 37% of the island's territory is under the control of official Ankara. Nicosia is a large city, which is not only the political and administrative center of the island, but also its cultural capital.
All power in the state is divided into legislative, executive and judicial. A unicameral parliament - the House of Representatives - has concentrated in its hands the foundations of the legislative branch. The executive reins of government are with the President of the country, and judicial functions are vested in the Supreme Court of the Republic and courts of other lower levels.
Members of the country's parliament are elected by universal suffrage. At the same time, 56 representatives must be elected from the Greek community, and another 3 seats are assigned to national and religious minorities - Maronites, Armenians, Catholics. The President of the Republic is also elected by universal secret ballot for a term of 5 years. The President heads the state and government.
Among the country's political parties, the following are worth highlighting:
- The Progressive Party of the Working People or AKEL, which is the largest party in the Greek community and has existed since 1941 as the successor to the Communist Party of Cyprus;
- Democratic Party or DIKO, which was founded in 1976 (its members are actively fighting for the reunification of Cyprus, defending the interests of private business and democratic freedoms of the country's citizens);
- The Social Democratic Movement KISOS is a center-left party that calls for a solution to the Turkish question in accordance with a UN resolution, founded in 1969;
- Democratic gathering or DISI is a conservative party that has existed since 1976, which, in particular, offers various compromise ways to resolve the issue with Turkey in the northern part of the island.
The official language of Cyprus is Greek, while English is widely spoken. The Republic of Cyprus is a member of many international organizations: UN, European Parliament, British Commonwealth.
