By Charlie Charalambous
PRESIDENT Clerides yesterday vehemently denied that he had avoided a major reshuffle because Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides threatened to dish the dirt if he was axed.
A front page article in yesterday’s Simerini newspaper alleged that Clerides had aborted plans for a reshuffle this month because Michaelides had threatened to blow the whistle on prominent politicians.
Speculation has been rife in the media concerning a pending cabinet reshuffle, in which the Interior Minister was touted as favourite to get the chop.
The government had fended off the rumours in half-hearted fashion, but yesterday’s front page story angered the president who promptly issued a strongly-worded statement.
“In a written statement, President Clerides categorically denies the front page Simerini article which alleges he postponed a reshuffle because Mr Michaelides warned he would make public revelations if sacked,” said government spokesman Christos Stylianides reading out the statement yesterday.
Michaelides also went public to deny he had approached Clerides in any way or issued any veiled threats connected with keeping his job.
“President Clerides has had no meeting with Michaelides or any other minister concerning a reshuffle,” said Stylianides.
Clerides slammed the article as “libelous” because it suggested he had been blackmailed into covering up for his friends and colleagues.
Michaelides has resolutely held on to this job, despite a series of damaging corruption allegations against him.
Clerides refused at the height of corruption scandal last November to accept the minister’s resignation.
It was alleged at the time that the president had stuck by his minister, not through loyalty, but out of fear of what Michaelides might do if kicked out of office.
Michaelides was later cleared by Attorney-general Alecos Markides of any wrongdoing but has remained an unpopular minister, according to recent opinion polls.
The government as a whole has taken a battering in the polls, and this was said to be one reason why Clerides was ready to make six changes to his cabinet.
But the government moved to dampen speculation about an imminent reshuffle, although many pundits believe it will still happen sooner than later.
“The president wishes to state once more that he is not considering a reshuffle at this stage,” Stylianides said yesterday.
