‘Contempt of the House’

DEPUTIES on the House Education Committee were in a fluster yesterday after the ministry drafted regulations they felt ran contrary to their wishes.

The confusion had Akel deputies talking of contempt of the House and demanding an immediate postponement, with claims that the government was breaking the law and declarations that, irrespective of the government’s views, the House could proceed the way it thought best.

At issue were regulations to accompany existing legislation on promotion procedures for teachers who did not hold teaching jobs.

When the House amended the existing law, it had asked to include social workers at specialised institutes, as well as researchers or others. The Education Ministry disagreed. The amendments were pushed through nevertheless but – on the advice of the Attorney-general’s office – without naming the particular positions.

But when the ministry yesterday presented its regulations, it appeared to adhere to its initial reservations.

This had Akel talking of violations of the law and contempt of the House.

The record was eventually set straight by Disy’s Ouranios Ioannides. The government had stuck to the law, but not introduced provisions in the regulations to satisfy the desire of the House.

After a heated debate, deputies decided they would make the changes themselves.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.