Kikis Kazamias offered finance ministry in reshuffle

PRESIDENT Demetris Christofias is expected to announce his new cabinet today, with economist and former communications minister Kikis Kazamias reportedly taking the finance portfolio.

Kazamias, an economist, would have the tough job of spearheading much needed fiscal reform to prevent the island’s economy from going into a meltdown.

Kazamias yesterday would not confirm the appointment but he did confirm he had been offered the job.

“I can confirm I was offered the job but from then on, I can’t replace the President (in announcing the new cabinet),” Kazamias said.

But most media outlets, including state broadcaster CyBC, reported that Kazamias, who served for several years at the EU court of auditors, was Christofias’ choice for the finance ministry,

CyBC said his name had been announced to union leaders by the President during yesterday’s meeting.

If officially confirmed today, Kazamias’ appointment would be part of a broad reshuffle designed to quell public anger after a munitions blast on July 11 destroyed the island’s largest power station and killed 13 men.

As for the rest of the ministries, the Ministers of Labour and Interior Sotiroulla Charalambous and Neoclis Sylikiotis will retain their portfolios.

Demetris Eliades, who took over the defence ministry after the resignation of Costas Papacostas on July 11, will remain there while Communications Minister Erato Kozakou Markoullis will move to the foreign ministry.

Markoullis had served as foreign minister for some time during the Tassos Papadopoulos administration.

Reports said geneticist Andreas Malas will replace Christos Patsalides at the health ministry, while Praxoula Antoniadou, will take the trade and industry ministry.

Justice Minister Loukas Louka will likely retain his position.

Questions remain as to who will take the education and communications ministries.

The official announcement is expected today with Christofias cancelling a meeting he had with Turkish Cypriot leader Dervish Eroglu.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.