Vassiliou keen for broader reshuffle

By Martin Hellicar

JUNIOR government partners the United Democrats (UD) are keen to see a cabinet reshuffle, but will give President Clerides time to complete his dialogue with all parties first.

Rumours of a reshuffle have been rife ever since Dinos Michaelides resigned as Interior Minister last week in the face of persistent corruption charges.

UD leader George Vassiliou said yesterday his party was not after more cabinet seats, but saw a change of ministerial personnel as vital for “broadening” the government in the wake of the departures of Edek and Christos Stylianides from government.

Edek jumped ship just days after Clerides’ controversial December decision not to bring the S-300 missiles, while Stylianides (of the Political Renewal Movement) resigned as Government spokesman last week in protest at the cabinet’s decision to clear former Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides of corruption charges. These departures left the UD as the only government partners for Clerides’ Disy party – a position with which Vassiliou is obviously uncomfortable.

Agriculture Minister Costas Themistocleous belongs to the UD.

Vassiliou and other UD members met Clerides yesterday morning. In statements afterwards, the UD leader made it plain his party was not after hounding Clerides into swift action and believed his dialogue with parties could be a stepping-stone towards a broader government.

The dialogue, involving all parties, aims at arriving at consensus on serious issues like state expenditure, VAT increases and EU harmonisation procedure, and is seen as part of the government’s image bolstering campaign.

“It is not right for us to continuously talk about a reshuffle today or a reshuffle tomorrow. We have expressed our position to the President and he is aware of our position, but the government is formed by the President and not by participating parties or others on the outside,” Vassiliou said.

Vassiliou said he did not consider last week’s replacing of Stylianides and Michaelides a reshuffle.

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