By Stefanos Evripidou
A MEMBER of the CyBC Board of Directors, Andreas Chrysanthou, announced his resignation yesterday amidst a barrage of accusations against the semi- governmental organisation. Chrysanthou charged the institution’s recruitment and promotional procedures as being tainted by a lack of meritocracy and causing the marginalisation of competent employees.
“All the evidence points to an orgy of lack of meritocracy and the conquest by DISY of the permanent positions available at CyBC,” he said.
The Board member said he had “reached the end of his tether” when the procedure began to appoint a Director-general for the organisation, and he accused the institution of sidelining competent employees and employing a tainted method to appointing a new Director-general.
“While in past years there was no mention of having a Director-general, now they are going to bind the board of directors at CyBC with a permanent Director-general who was decided on from before the procedures of interview and examination took place,” he claimed.
Chrysanthou insists the appointment will bind CyBC for the next 20 years. He acknowledged that no decision had been taken specifying that length of period but maintained that all the evidence pointed in that direction.
“You know when a snake is going to bite you before it bites,” he said, adding that his eight years of experience on the board proved to him that rumours from the CyBC corridors usually ended up being reality.
Chrysanthou described the case of one of the candidates for Director- general who resigned from the board to become a candidate. “This is morally wrong since it is the board which will make the appointment.”
He said the organisation lacked an inspiring and just leadership to lead it towards the future and unite departments that were in constant competition with each other.
“In my time, there have been people who got three promotions within the space of two or three years while others wait years for legitimate promotions,” he said. “This method of pre-picking people for positions means candidates of merit don’t stand a chance.”
Asked about the timing of his resignation, given that in his own words such non-meritocratic methods of recruitment had been going on for years, he replied, “I felt that I could work better within the institution to make more improvements, but I can no longer feel that way”.
Chrysanthou added he would not be surprised if more board members resigned, since there were others who felt the same way.
But the Chairman of the board of directors, Antonis Drakos, told state radio yesterday that Chrysanthou’s resignation had come as a surprise to him, hinting that other players were involved in the decision.
“He agreed to nearly all the promotions of the last few years,” said Drakos. “There is no issue of lack of meritocracy at CyBC. This is the first time it is presented to us.” Drakou said that the aim of Chrysanthou’s resignation was clear: his ulterior motive was to hinder the appointment by the board of a Director-general. “His resignation hinders this process and I find the public discussion of candidates unethical but an appointment will be made before the board’s tenure expires in August 2003. We have completed the stage of examination of applicants and are at the stage of appointing the Director-general.”
Drakou said he was not concerned by the prospect of further resignations.
