Government claims clarity over presidential advisers

The government on Wednesday denied it had failed to report all the advisers and their duties, amid reports that a list of 31 advisers to the presidential palace and ministries was incomplete.

Speaking to CyBC in the morning, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that all the names of the advisers had been uploaded and he called on “anyone having information otherwise, to publish it”.

Responding to accusations of delay in releasing the names, he said that in order not to leave any doubts, the government decided to ask for the written consent of each adviser.

He added that from now on, along with the signing of the contract, the advisers would also give their written consent on the website of the presidency.

Opposition Akel MP Andreas Pashiourtides, a member of the House ethics committee, said had the committee not brought up the issue, the government would have done nothing.

According to Pashiourtides, the data protection commissioner had also assured that no legislation was violated by the publication of the list. 

Meanwhile, an article in daily Politis suggested that the list was incomplete, drawing attention to the fact that the list failed to mention all the duties some of the advisers had undertaken.

The daily reported that President Nikos Christodoulides intervened by telling his associates in the presidential palace that the full names of the advisers should be made public and that there was no reason to put only their initials on the list, as had been done previously.

What emerged from the updated list of advisers was that it had increased from every previous time they had tried to make the list public.

Initially the list included 19 advisers, then went to 25 in June, 29 in July, and ended finally at 31.

There had been pressure from the House ethics committee on Christodoulides to publish the list of advisers, with a decision to discuss the issue anew on September 4.

Politis reported that there are some concerns with the list, including the number of advisers and with some of their duties.

The daily said that for example, Christodoulides should explain who his adviser Spyros Stylianou is.

He is reported to have been his roommate in the US during their studies, and the ‘koumbaro’ at the president’s wedding. According to the paper’s information, Stylianou also has the job of managing social media accounts used to spread fake news and attack journalists.

The newspaper said that the president has to give the exact details on the adviser’s duties, including those of his other five advisers: Maria Stavrou, Panayiota Panayiotou, Anastasia Constantouri, and Maro Theodotou.