‘New draft Bill will lead to discrimination’

A UNION leader has criticised a new draft Bill aimed at curbing cronyism, claiming that it will lead to “discrimination”.

The government has submitted new proposals to Parliament that will put an end to “lifetime” incomes for political advisers. Under the current system, anyone who is appointed as an adviser to a government minister retains their salary, even after they have left their post.

The issue has been a sore in Turkish Cypriot politics, with claims that senior jobs are doled out to friends and associates, regardless of their skills and experience.

According to reforms put forward by the coalition, any adviser who is removed from their job will have to return to their former post and on their former salary.

If their previous position is no longer available, they will be appointed to another government role “in line with their education and work experience”.

Metin Atan, head of the public sector workers’ union Kamu-Sen said, however, that the draft Bill would “create new problems” and was likely to sent back to Parliament. A union statement said the Bill “discriminated” against appointees based on their length of service. Those who had only been in their posts for two years would be able to return to their old jobs, but that different rules would apply for those who had “worked continuously for five years”.

Güven Bengihan, head of the Ktams civil servants’ union said he was “against the idea of someone sitting at home and getting paid for it”.

He said the current “unhealthy” situation “made people unhappy” and that it also “destroyed institutional memory”.

“We need to benefit from the experience and know-how of these people,” he continued. “Those who are going to be made directors or undersecretaries ought to sit for certain exams before they are appointed.”