The government is under pressure regarding the role of the Advisory Council, in the wake of appointments to quasi-governmental organizations.
A few days before the presidential election, the President of the Republic had made clear what the Council’s role would be, as you will see in the excerpt from the report below, which was broadcast on January 31, 2023.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“Particular emphasis is placed on the proposal to establish an Advisory Council for appointments to committees and councils that fall under the jurisdiction of the President of the Republic. The President of the Republic stated that the goal is to strengthen transparency and meritocracy in the country’s public life.”
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Three years and seven months later, the President of the Republic is finally being accused by the opposition parties that, in the end, the Advisory Council does not play the leading role, but merely serves to fulfill partisan agendas.
A cloak of meritocracy?
For its part, the Democratic Alarm raises the following question, commenting on the government’s admission that 21 of the 95 appointees were not even included in the Advisory Council’s recommendations.
“The question is whether the process actually reinforces meritocracy or serves as a cloak of meritocracy for predetermined government choices.”
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Strong Reaction
AKEL is once again launching a fierce attack on the Presidency today, accusing it of cronyism behind the appointments to parastatal organizations.
“The cronyism in the appointments to parastatal organizations cannot be hidden behind excuses. How long will the president and members of the so-called Advisory Council continue to humiliate themselves by providing cover for the Christodoulides government’s cronyism and nepotism?”
According to AKEL, the President of the Republic’s priority is 2028, not the public interest.
READ ALSO: AKEL Strikes Back: The Government Used the Appointments as a “Vehicle” for the 2028 Elections
Criticism Aimed at DIKO
For its part, ALMA accuses the President’s Office, on the one hand, of reneging on what it said in 2023 regarding the role of the Advisory Council, while on the other hand, it accuses DIKO of persuading President Christodoulides to go back on his word so that individuals could be appointed through the back door, as it states verbatim.
“A few weeks before the appointments, the Secretary-General of DIKO publicly stated that even people who hadn’t even applied should be eligible for appointment. In the end, 21 of the 95 appointees were brought in through the back door! They were spared the trouble of even applying!”
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Presidential Response
In response to the criticism, the President’s Office acknowledges that the system for selecting members of semi-governmental organizations is not perfect, but explains that it is an improvement over the past, when party affiliation was the primary criterion.
“A total of 1,282 applications were submitted, and some applicants expressed interest in two or three quasi-governmental organizations. For some quasi-governmental organizations, there isn’t enough interest, while others are appointed ex officio to the boards of directors 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.”
Yiannis Antoniou – Deputy Government Spokesperson
For his part, speaking also to KYPE, the Chairman of the Advisory Council, George Arestis, referred to “excessive criticism,” stating that the Council’s role is advisory and does not involve interference in the final decisions of the Council of Ministers.
See the report by Giorgos Chrysanthos:
