The system for selecting members of quasi-governmental organizations is not perfect, and steps are being taken to improve it, but it is clearly better than the previous system, when party affiliation was the primary criterion, Deputy Government Spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou, told KYPE on Saturday, describing as “unfair” the criticism directed at the government regarding recent appointments to the boards of semi-governmental organizations, since, as he said, 78% of the Advisory Council’s recommendations were adopted.
When asked by CNA to comment on criticism of the government and reactions from political parties regarding the recent appointments to the boards of directors of quasi-governmental organizations, as well as reports that some individuals who were appointed had not submitted an application, Mr. Antoniou stated that appointments are not limited to those who submit an application and that this has always been the case. This is because, in some cases, there is not much interest, he noted.
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After pointing out that the Advisory Council is an advisory body, he noted that, of the 95 people appointed, the Advisory Council had made recommendations for 74 of them, meaning that 78% of the Advisory Council’s recommendations were adopted. A total of 1,282 applications were submitted, and some applicants expressed interest in two or three quasi-governmental positions, he added.
Mr. Antoniou noted that the Advisory Council conducts an evaluation and submits the names of candidates to the relevant ministers, who then submit a recommendation to the Council of Ministers. He added that the selection is made based on the Advisory Council’s recommendations, and accordingly, the executive branch retains the right to appoint, as provided by law.
He also noted that for some quasi-governmental organizations, there is not enough interest, while others are appointed ex officio to the boards of semi-governmental organizations because these positions are allocated to organizations, unions, and other partners.
“The important thing is that this system is much better than what existed before,” when someone had to be on a party list to be appointed, he said, noting that, now, every citizen has the right to express interest.
“We’re identifying weaknesses and making improvements to make the system better,” Mr. Antoniou added.
Responding to criticism from political parties, Mr. Antoniou noted that there is “a contradiction” on the part of major parties, such as DISY and AKEL, “which claim to be in the opposition,” since, as he pointed out, quasi-governmental organizations are instruments for implementing government policy, and he questioned why these parties demand to have their own officials in these organizations. He also noted that among those appointed are individuals from across the ideological spectrum, and he described the criticism as “unfair” and “unjustified.”
Source: CNA
