Filenews 25 February 2023 - by Andreas Pimpisis
Final touches on the list of 26 people will be put by the elected President over the weekend in order for the cabinet to be ready for announcement on Monday. According to our information, throughout the week there were a series of telephone communications, inside and outside Cyprus, with people who could be included in the government of Nikos Christodoulides. According to our information, a final contact will be made over the weekend in order to complete the puzzle of appointments.
The government puzzle is divided into 26 different pieces which are divided into three categories:
In the first category are the portfolios of the eleven ministries, which based on the current ceremonial order are: 1. Foreign Affairs, 2. Finance, 3. Interior, 4. Defence, 5. Education, Sports and Youth, 6. Transport, Communications and Works, 7. Energy, Trade and Industry, 8 Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, 9. Labor and Social Insurance, 10. Justice and Public Order, and 11. Health.
In the second category are ten officials as follows: 1. Government Spokesman, 2. Deputy Minister to the President, 3. Deputy Minister of Shipping, 4. Deputy Minister of Tourism, 5. Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, 6. Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, 7. Deputy Minister of Culture, 8. Director of the Office of the President of the Republic, 9. Deputy Government Spokesman, and 10. Director of the Press Office of the President of the Republic.
The third category of officials includes the five Commissioners: Presidency, Environment, Citizen, Gender Equality and Mountain Community Development.
The procedural part for the new government to take office is ready, it now remains to fill in the list of names in each position that will receive a portfolio and appointment from the President of the Republic on Wednesday. The nomenclature in the last 24 hours gives and takes with the positions at least theoretically to be shared profusely. However, officially none of this information is confirmed by Nikos Christodoulides, who continues to refer to Monday's official announcement.
24 hours before: Nikos Christodoulides will appear before the House of Representatives for the installation ceremony. Article 42 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus states: "The President and the Vice-President of the Republic are hereby installed by the Parliament, before which they give the following assurance: "I solemnly affirm loyalty and respect for the Constitution and its laws and for the preservation of the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus."
The installation ceremony of the new President of the Republic will begin at 11.30 in the morning of Tuesday, February 28, 2023. The ceremony is followed by the first speech of the new President of the Republic, during which Nikos Christodoulides will present before the parties and the people his programmatic positions. N. Christodoulides, during an interview with CyBC on Thursday, had mentioned that through his speech he will also present specific proposals concerning the cooperation of executive and legislative powers.
At the end of the special session of the Parliament, Nikos Christodoulides, as the 8th President of the Republic, will head to Lofos. The outgoing President, Nicos Anastasiades, along with his wife, will welcome the new President and the First Lady. This will be followed by a brief ceremonial meeting at the presidential office. The President Christodoulides will then replace President Anastasiades, who will leave the Presidential Palace.
The president of DISY, Averoff Neophytou, wh has informed Nikos Christodoulides, will be absent from the ceremony in the Parliament. As he states in a letter, for strictly personal reasons he will not attend the installation ceremony of the PD. Mr. Neophytou will be absent abroad and expressed the intention upon returning to request a meeting from Mr. Christodoulides.
The Anastasiades decade: After 10 years in the governance of the country, Nicos Anastasiades hands over the reins of the state to Nikos Christodoulides next Tuesday. The outgoing director of the Press Office of the PD, Andreas Iosif, in a statement notes that N. Anastasiades "during his ten-year rule managed three major crises, the economic, the health and in the last year the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, while important reforms were implemented such as the GHS, the Minimum Guaranteed Income and the reduction of military service".
He also notes that "during the decade, efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem have been continuous and unceasing, however, all efforts have come up against the intransigent and negative attitude of the other side". Finally, he says that "the Anastasiades government, by leaving, leaves its legacy to the Cypriot citizens. This is the "Cyprus – Tomorrow" Plan, which is expected to add an additional 7% to the Gross Domestic Product, while the creation of more than 11,000 well-paid jobs is foreseen".
Not a minute to waste, push bills and travel
Nikos Christodoulides has already sent the message that by taking over the governance of the country from day one, they will immediately get down to work. The elected President in his statements (to CyBC) had mentioned that on March 2, the bill for the establishment of a deputy ministry of immigration will be sent to the Legal Service for legislative scrutiny. At the same time, they will start running to deal with all the open issues with him weighing labour as burning. After the meetings with SEK and OEB, he intends to have a meeting with PEO in order to discuss all the open issues that concern the employees. The particular zeal shown by Nikos Christodoulides in labuor matters is expected to play a role in the choice he will make for the Ministry of Labour, where the information shows the elected President to be oriented to the choice of a person who will be able to provide solutions and prevent conflicts.
N. Christodoulides and his collaborators have set to work on studying the programs of his lieutenants. As he mentioned from the program of Achilleas Dimitriadis he gets his proposal for a "truth commission" concerning the issue of missing persons. A proposal which, as he said, which he also raised in his first meeting with Ersin Tatar.
On the issue of Famagusta, there was a suggestion to prepare a plan for the reconstruction of the city. According to Mr. Christodoulides, "there are already ready-made plans from before that can be promoted.
Along with what will be running at home, Nikos Christodoulides is also preparing for his first trips abroad. On March 13, he will travel to Athens, making the first official trip outside Cyprus. On 23 March he will be in Brussels for his first participation in a European Council. It plans meetings with the President of France, the Chancellor of Germany and the Prime Minister of Sweden. As he has already mentioned during the meeting, he will present his proposal for a more active involvement of the EU in the efforts to resume talks on the Cyprus issue. In the margins of the summit, it will also seek to hold a meeting with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Among the priorities of the new President is the establishment of a National Security Council. As he mentioned (speaking to CyBC) work has already begun to be done in this direction, and according to our information, N. Christodoulides had held relevant meetings in this direction. The intention of N. Christodoulides is through the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry to make a substantial contribution to the effort to upgrade the project and the role of the National Council.
