Anastasiades announces new cabinet
GREEK Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades announced on Tuesday the composition of his new government. He added seven fresh faces, including three women.
Mr Anastasiades appointed government spokesman Nicos Christodoulides as head of the foreign ministry and kept finance minister Harris Georgiades in the same post.
Lawyer Savvas Angelides has been appointed defence minister, teacher and education ministry official Costas Hambiaouris got the education portfolio, businessman Constantinos Ioannou takes over the health ministry, and Vasiliki Anastasiadou, currently the director of parliament, takes the transport ministry.
Zeta Emilianidou remains at the labour ministry and Giorgos Lakkotrypis retains his energy portfolio.
Education minister Costas Kadis will be moving to the agricultural ministry and Constantinos Petrides remains at the interior ministry. Ionas Nicolaou will also stay at the justice ministry.
Natasa Pilides, the director of the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency, was appointed junior minister for shipping.
Former MP and ruling Disy spokesman Prodromos Prodromou has been appointed government spokesman. Klelia Vasiliou, the head of Troodos Development Agency, will be deputy government spokesperson.
Vasilis Palmas remains as undersecretary to the president.
Political scientist and member of the Disy executive bureau, Petros Demetriou, was appointed as the new head of the president’s office. Mr Anastasiades said the composition of the new cabinet reflects his commitment to putting together a council of ministers that will enjoy “broader social acceptance”.
“I believe that,” Mr Anastasiades said. He added that society would decide if this was true.
Outgoing Agriculture Minister Nikos Kouyialis thanked Mr Anastasiades for trusting him with the post, which he has held for the past five years, and said he is he is at ease with himself that he fulfilled his duties.
Outgoing defence minister Christoforos Fokaides also thanked the president for appointing him to that “key post” for four years and wished “every success for the continuation of the same course of reform and modernisation”.
Deputy government spokesman Victoras Papadopoulos said earlier in the day that personal reasons would not allow him to continue.
Outgoing ministers of transport and foreign affairs, Marios Demetriades and Ioannis Cassoulides both resigned from their posts. Mr Demetriades said he had decided to leave politics and return, as a professional, to the private sector. Mr Cassoulides said he wanted to retire.
The last day for the current council of ministers is February 28. The new members will be sworn in on March 1.