COMMERCE Minister Praxoulla Antoniadou is the least popular minister while Interior Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis is by far the most popular, according to a poll carried out on behalf of Ant1 TV station.
According to the poll, the government as a whole continued to be unpopular with a 72 per cent disapproval rating. Those viewing the government positively dropped to 14.8 per cent from 23.3 per cent last year.
President Demetris Christofias announced a cabinet reshuffle early August following the resignations of the Defence and Foreign Ministers after the July Mari blast.
Since then, Antoniadou became embroiled in a public spat with the head of the Energy Service Solon Kassinis and has been heavily criticised for her decision to revoke an order delegating authority on some gas exploration matters to Kassinis, who has come across as the fearless official who does not mince his words.
Most of Christofias’ new ministers have proved unpopular with the Commerce Minister looked upon positively only by 34.5 per cent of those asked.
Health Minister Stavros Malas with 41.2 per cent is the second most unpopular minister while Agriculture Minister Sophoclis Aletraris at 42.9 per cent approval comes in third in the least-popular stakes, followed by Education Minister Giorgos Demosthenous with a 44.5 per cent approval, and Communications Minister Efthymios Flourentzos 49.9 per cent.
All five were newly appointed to the cabinet.
Breaking the 50 per cent popularity barrier was Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis got 56.9 per cent. Marcoullis was a member of the previous cabinet holding the post of Communications Minister.
Interior Minister Neoclis Sylikiotis proved to be the most popular minister with about 70 per cent of those asked saying they saw him in a positive light.
In addition to being the most popular, Sylikiotis was also considered to be the most competent, effective, reliable and forceful minister.
Finance Minister Kikis Kazamias – also a new appointee – whose thankless job is to lead unpopular economic reforms did well in the poll, gleaning a 64.4 per cent approval rate.
Demetris Elliades who was moved from the Agriculture Ministry to that of Defence followed with 61.3 per cent; Labour Minister Sotiroula Charalambous with 61 per cent; and Justice Minister Loucas Louca with 59.5 per cent.
Government spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou got 42.3 per cent.
People said that Sylikiotis, Kazamias and Charalambous were the most competent ministers in that order. The most effective ministers in descending order were Sylikiotis, Kazamias and Eliades.
People said the most reliable were firstly Sylikiotis, followed by Kazamias and then Kozakou-Marcoullis.
Those asked said the most forceful ministers were Sylikiotis, Kazamias, and Louca.
However, one in five of those asked said no minister was competent; one in four said no one was effective or forceful; and 27.8 per cent said no one was reliable.
On questions related to the municipal elections, some 29 per cent said they were either not voting (23.1 per cent) for municipal elections or were casting a blank vote (5.7 per cent).
Leading the municipal elections was main opposition party DISY with 21.9 per cent. AKEL got 18 per cent while DIKO who left the coalition government in August got 9.1 per cent.
To look at the poll visit www.ant1.com.cy (Greek only)
