MPs question 21 semi-state board appointments made outside advisory list
Lawmakers pressed the government over 21 appointments to semi-state boards that bypassed the advisory council's recommendations, as officials defended the cabinet's final say.
MPs pressed the government on Wednesday over 21 appointments to semi-state organisation boards made outside the recommendations of an advisory council set up to vet candidates, as reported by Cyprus Mail.
Committee chairman and Disy MP Demetris Demetriou told the House institutions committee that 73 of the 94 positions filled in the latest round went to people on the council's list, leaving 21 appointments outside it.
Deputy minister to the president Irene Piki, representing the government, said the council's role is purely advisory and its recommendations are not binding, though she stressed that the vast majority of appointments had followed them. She said the relevant decisions and justifications had been made public, and confirmed the IMF would provide technical assistance to improve governance of public entities.
Advisory council chairman Giorgos Aresti said the body evaluates candidates and that its decisions have always been unanimous, based on integrity and qualifications. He said the council had in some cases recommended fewer than three candidates for a position where it judged others unsuitable, and that of its recommendations for chairs, only two had been rejected by the cabinet against ten accepted.
Piki confirmed that 1,282 people had expressed interest in the latest round covering 12 organisations, around 19 per cent more than the previous round. Akel MP Anastasia Hasikou and Alma MP Irene Charalambides criticised the absence of published justification for appointments made outside the council's list, with Charalambides saying the government "fell below the bar that it itself set".
Advisory council member Eleni Mouzala questioned the process at the state broadcaster, asking: "When I see four people entering CyBC who did not apply, and only one who did, isn't that a problem?" Piki said the process now allows any member of the public to express interest regardless of party affiliation.
The fallout follows the cabinet appointing around 85 members to the boards of 11 semi-state organisations and public bodies, including the EAC, Cyta, CyBC, Thoc, the University of Cyprus and Tepak. Pavlos Pavlou was appointed chairman of CyBC, Maria Tsiakka was reappointed as Cyta chairwoman and Loizos Loizou was appointed chairman of the EAC.
The appointments also exposed tensions within the governing coalition, with Diko having emerged as the main beneficiary while coalition partners Dipa and Edek expressed dissatisfaction over their representation.
What it means for residents
The boards running Cyprus's semi-state organisations — electricity, telecoms, broadcasting and universities — set prices, services and priorities that affect households directly. How these people are chosen matters for how those bodies are run.
- Services and bills: board decisions at the EAC and Cyta shape electricity and telecoms costs and service quality.
- Transparency: the lack of published justification for appointments made outside the advisory list limits public scrutiny of the process.
- Watch the next round: with the IMF set to advise on governance, future appointments may face closer examination.
This text is written from the source article and is not a translation of it.
