Constitution of Cyprus

The Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus was ratified on 16 August 1960, establishing the governmental framework at independence as the supreme law of the republic. It creates a presidential republic with a bicommunal power-sharing arrangement, a Greek Cypriot president and a Turkish Cypriot vice president each holding significant veto powers, across 199 articles covering general provisions and fundamental rights, with articles 6 through 35 addressing civil liberties including non-discrimination, privacy, freedom of speech and religion, and labor rights. The power-sharing framework collapsed in 1963 when Turkish Cypriots withdrew from government; the constitution has since been amended 22 times, and though formally still in force, institutional provisions including the vice presidency and the Supreme Constitutional Court remain dormant amid the island's continuing political division.