Defence Ministry urged to sort out legal anomaly

By Charlie Charalambous

DIKO DEPUTY Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday threatened to vote against the Defence Ministry budget unless it put its house in order.

Papadopoulos was unhappy that the Defence Ministry had no proper structure and was the only ministry under the constitution in which the minister was not responsible for his departments.

He said legal measures had not been taken to ensure the National Guard came under the Defence Ministry’s jurisdiction.

“The aim of the ministry should be to bring the National Guard within the realm of the Defence Ministry, otherwise I won’t vote for the budget and will ask other to do the same,” said Papadopoulos.

The deputy, a constitutional expert, told the House Finance Committee that this legal anomaly needed to be cleared up because in essence the ministry had no structure and no permanent staff.

“There is no legal connection between the Defence Minister and the National Guard and the minister has no authority over it under the law.”

Papadopoulos told the attendant Defence Minister Costas Eliades that it was a serious issue he needed to take to the Council of Ministers before the budget vote.

He said the law which established the National Guard in 1964 was no longer relevant in today’s climate.

“Today conditions have changed and it should be under the jurisdiction of the Defence Ministry.”

Papadopoulos gained immediate support for his stance when independent deputy Marios Matsakis said he would vote against the budget as well.

And Eliades agreed that the issue needed to be sorted out.

On a lighter note, Edek’s Takis Hadjidemetriou urged the minister to ensure that Cyprus flags, as well as Greek ones, were on show on official parades.

“Could the National Guard hold Cyprus flags in front of President Clerides? It’s not unpatriotic to do so.”

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