Statement by AKEL C.C. Spokesperson Stefanos Stefanou on the appointments to the Boards of Semi-governmental Organizations
The appointments were made to serve party and petty-political interests of the government ruling forces
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 18 January 2019, Nicosia
Whenever appointments are made to positions and posts, the President of the Republic and ruling DISY party take decisions to primarily serve party and petty-political considerations and expediencies.
That’s what they’ve done this time too with regards the appointments to the Boards of the Semi-governmental Organizations. Through these decisions:
1. They have sought to put the Semi-governmental organizations under their full control to promote whatever considerations and serve private interests. For example, society can’t overlook the fact that the government is continuing its efforts to privatize the semi-governmental Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CYTA) and restrict – even more – the Cyprus Land Development Corporation’s possibility of developing housing programs.
2. They have once more sought through targeted appointments to further strengthen their relations with the mass media, in order to enjoy an even more advantageous handling and promotion. The government and ruling forces need this preferential treatment and projection to cover up their anti-social policy and handlings on the Cyprus problem, as well as the scandals, the interwoven interests, corruption and cronyism that have never reached such levels as during their own governance.
3. The government and ruling forces have once again sought to serve expediencies for forging of party alliances so that they can subsequently benefit from them politically.
The President and DISY for the umpteenth time have sacrificed meritocracy and the public interest and, together, have sacrificed the prospect of the smooth and efficient operation of the Semi-governmental Organizations to serve these very expediencies and considerations.
As citizens have now figured them out, the government and ruling forces this time didn’t dare to use their well-known pledge to appoint the “Most Excellent of the Excellent” which they tried to project the last time and made fools of themselves.
AKEL wishes every success in the work of the new Boards. We will judge their work strictly but fairly with the sole criterion and aim being the serving of public interest, the interests of Cyprus and our society.
