THE GOVERNMENT yesterday played down media speculation that the cabinet reshuffle was being delayed because party leaders were quarrelling over who would get what jobs.
Opposition DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades has claimed the only reason the reshuffle has still not been announced is because some governing parties are squabbling over the positions where nepotism is most rife.
Sunday’s parliamentary election results showed clear gains for parties that had clearly supported a ‘no’ vote on the Annan plan. While the two leading parties, coalition partner AKEL and opposition DISY lost a small section of their voter base, DIKO, EDEK and the European Party (EUROKO) made gains.
“The reports surrounding the Cabinet reshuffle do not reflect the truth. The simple fact is that the delays are due to the procedures that must be followed in matters like these,” said Government Spokesman George Lillikas.
“President Tassos Papadopoulos simply called for opinions and queries from the party leaders he met with after the elections. The President heard their opinions without expressing his own opinion on the matter.”
Lillikas added that, contrary to what was said in some newspapers, no party leader gave conditions concerning the appointments of party representatives in various government positions.
He added that the reason for President Papadopoulos bringing up the matter at the meeting was because of what was said on the television and in the newspapers.
AKEL deputy Nicos Katsourides yesterday accused Anastassiades of attempting to raise a non-existent issue in his effort to be elected as House Speaker.
“The procedure being followed at the moment is the decision of who is the most suitable for which position and not anything else. We are aware of Nicos Anastassiades’ target of sealing the House Speaker’s position. You can all draw up your own conclusions,” Katsourides told reporters.
DIKO deputy-leader Nicos Cleanthous also laid in to the DISY, adding the reshuffle would silence the government’s critics.
He added that Anastassiades’ accusations of nepotism most likely stemmed from his own experience when DISY had been in power.
Defending his comments, Anastassiades insisted yesterday that they were “simply concerned over the delay which has seen government operations remain paralysed because party officials cannot agree on what position should be given to whom.”
And Anastassiades said he was under no illusions as to who was the firm favourite to get the position of House Speaker.
The position was occupied in the last Parliament by AKEL leader Demetris Christofias, who has said he would be seeking re-election.
Apart from his own party, Christofias is almost sure to have the support of coalition partners DIKO and EDEK, making his re-election a foregone conclusion.
Combined, the three parties have 34 seats in parliament, compared to the 18 seats of DISY, now effectively the only opposition force represented in the House.
Christofias also has the support of the Green Party with the party’s single parliamentary representative George Perdikis yesterday saying his party welcomed the AKEL leader’s decision to stand again.
