OPPOSITION D.I.S.Y. and the government yesterday continued slugging it out over the appointment of a new Civil Service Commission (EDY), focusing on the selection of a prominent DISY figure to the body.
Sophocles Hadjiyiannis, a former party vice-chairman and deputy, was on Monday appointed to sit on the five-member commission; yesterday Hadjiyiannis tendered his resignation from the party, triggering a bitter row between the main opposition party and the government.
Hadjiyiannis’ explanation for resigning was that he wished to carry out his duties in an objective fashion, not swayed by party affiliations. EDY is an apparatus that wields considerable power, controlling appointments and promotions in the civil service.
In a laconic statement issued yesterday, the former DISY deputy said that his resignation did not mean he was “forsaking” his party.
But speculation was rife that Hadjiyiannis’ appointment was related to the fact he supported the candidacy of former Attorney-general Alecos Markides in the recent presidential elections, going against the official party line. At the time, Hadjiyiannis’ choice had provoked friction with the DISY leadership.
Pundits suggested that the government appointed Hadjiyiannis precisely because he was considered a DISY dissident. They said the fact DISY failed to acknowledge one of their own now sat on the commission may have been the last straw for Hadjiyiannis.
For its part, the government argued that Hadjiyiannis’ appointment was proof it was implementing meritocracy in the civil service. Government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides yesterday told journalists none of the members of EDY were also party officers. He added that Hadjiyiannis was chosen because of his prior experience as a deputy and because he is lawyer by profession.
The spat over appointments to EDY and the boards of semi-government organizations has been brewing for the past couple of weeks. The President has repeatedly rejected DISY’s demand that appointments be based on proportional representation reflecting the parties’ electoral power.
As the main opposition party accused the government of arrogance, the administration countered that DISY was trying to strong-arm it by hyping up the issue in the media.
Another gripe was the absence of women on the commission. Androulla Vasiliou, a United Democrats deputy, expressed disappointment over the omission. The government spokesman said the omission was due purely to technical reasons.
