THE CHAIRMAN of the Cyprus University of Technology (TEPAK) has said he will resign in protest over moves by Parliament that he said were part of a war against the university driven by interests and personal ambitions.
Demetris Kontides published on Monday a letter he sent to President Nicos Anastasiades last week, explaining his reasons behind his resignation, to be submitted this Wednesday during a board meeting.
Kontides took issue with Parliament’s recently passed law enabling Cabinet to fire and appoint at will the directors of boards of semi-governmental organisations, but also of state-funded universities. The legality of that move was questionable, Kontides said, but added he did not plan to contest it. The law allows Cabinet to replace the directors by December 31 of the calendar year during which presidential elections were held. The current government may enforce the law by the end of the year.
“It is a common secret that all the legal initiatives as well as the war lately staged against the university are primarily driven from personal ambitions and other petty interests of specific persons,” Kontides said in his letter. He said this came from people belonging to the university or its sphere and were connected to the position of board chairman.
Kontides said he will remain on the board to continue serving the university.
TEPAK has been under fire by lawmakers for months for the previous board’s wasteful policies which have resulted in binding rental or purchase agreements often at above-market rates. Lawmakers have also taken issue with TEPAK’s paying a chauffeur to transport members of staff to and from Nicosia and TEPAK’s premises in Limassol.
Kontides has lamented the need to explain what he has said are inherited problems the board is dealing with, and even held a press conference recently to defend his board’s actions.
Kontides has maintained that when he took over as chairman in March 2012 the board started taking action to correct a number of issues. The findings of an independent disciplinary probe have been forwarded to the attorney-general’s office.
In his letter, Kontides asked the government to “follow through on its obligations” which include securing the pension benefits of TEPAK members who are part of the civil service, support the set-up of a Fine Arts department at the university, and allow staff members to receive title promotions independently of pay-related promotions.
Last week, the chairman of public broadcaster CyBC submitted his resignation in protest of cuts in state funding.
