AKEL general-secretary Demetris Christofias yesterday called press reports surrounding an expected Cabinet reshuffle a bunch of fairy tales.
Christofias was responding to further speculation in the media over who would be ‘in’ or ‘out’, if President Tassos Papadopoulos finally decided on a reshuffle.
The saga has been brewing since the parliamentary elections on May 21 and reached its peak following Thursday’s Cabinet meeting.
Papadopoulos is insisting he has not made any decision on a reshuffle, has not talked to anyone, and has criticised the media over their speculation on the issue.
The President told ministers during the Cabinet meeting that he would decide shortly, reportedly disappointing members of the Council of Ministers who have been on tenterhooks since the parliamentary elections.
Yesterday, papers reported that Commerce Minister And Government Spokesman George Lillikas, an AKEL man but close to President Papadopoulos, was angling for the Foreign Ministry, despite the fact his party wanted to keep current minister George Iacovou in the post. The papers said Lillikas was unwilling to accept any other ministry.
The reports suggested that there would be developments in the next 24 hours.
Bur Christofias told reporters yesterday that Papadopoulos had made no decision and would not do so without consulting AKEL or the other party leaders. He slammed the press reports.
“It’s a fantasy tale. It’s completely outside of reality,” he said. “This is a fantasy of the media.”
Asked whether it was true that Interior Minister Andreas Christou wanted to resign due to ill-health but had been persuaded to stay by the party, Christofias said Christou was a popular minister and that naturally the party wanted him to remain.
Lillikas also responded to yesterday’s reports during his spokesman’s briefing. He said what was written yesterday appeared to be part of a well-orchestrated campaign.
He said he had not discussed the issue of a reshuffle, either with AKEL or with the President, and wondered whom he could possibly “blackmail” to get what he reportedly wanted.
“It is obvious that this was a well orchestrated campaign,” he said. “The story appeared in all of the newspapers at the same time, with each one claiming it as exclusive.”
Lillikas said it was not in his character to ask for something like that or to use blackmail to get it.
He said he did not know the source of yesterday’s reports. “But I do not believe that one morning all of the media had the same exclusive news. If it is one source or more than one, I don’t know,” he added.
He repeated that Papadopoulos had not said how he would proceed with a reshuffle.
He said Christofias had made the situation clear early in the day.
