New ministers sworn in
THE new council of ministers was sworn in the South on Thursday morning, according to English-language daily Cyprus Mail.
The ceremony, which started at 9am, took place in the presence of state officials, family members of the new ministers and government officials.
In a speech, Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades said the basic criteria for his choices were professionalism, scientific training, credibility, ethos, and the will of the ministers to provide their services to the country.
“I expect to have the widest possible co-operation with all the political forces, regardless of political or ideological positions, the same co-operation I expect from organised social groups and trade unions in order to meet the expectations of the people,” he said.
On his part, foreign minister Nicos Christodoulides (who was government spokesman in the previous cabinet) said the ministers were fully aware of the responsibility and the expectations and they would do their utmost to complete the great work that began five years ago.
A lot of hard work is expected from the new ministers, he added, stressing that there was no room for party politics, discrimination, and amateurism.
After the ceremony, Mr Anastasiades and the new ministers laid a wreath at the statue of Makarios III in the courtyard of the presidential palace.
The new faces in the cabinet are lawyer Savvas Angelides as defence minister, teacher and education ministry official Costas Hambiaouris as education minister, businessman Constantinos Ioannou at the health ministry, and Vasiliki Anastasiadou at the transport ministry.
Harris Georgiades continues at the finance ministry, as do Zeta Emilianidou at the labour ministry, and Giorgos Lakkotrypis at the energy ministry.
Education minister Costas Kadis moved 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 is the new 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, is the new head of the president’s office.