Nicosia, Cyprus. Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Thursday that President Nikos Christodoulides’ decision to postpone this week’s cabinet meeting by one day to meet Diko leader Nicholas Papadopoulos should not cause surprise. He said such meetings with parties supporting the government take place regularly.
Regular contacts with supporting parties
Letymbiotis said meetings between the president and the leaderships of parties backing the government are held at regular intervals. He added that several meetings involving Christodoulides and Papadopoulos had already taken place.
He said Wednesday’s meeting was the fourth of its kind since the parliamentary elections in May.
Diko’s role in government support
Letymbiotis described Diko as a key partner of the government and said it has contributed, along with Dipa and Edek, to a large extent to the implementation of the government’s work.
Asked about the content of Wednesday’s meeting, he said there was a common view that the implementation of the government’s work and the policies it promotes and implements are successes.
He added that members of Diko’s leadership had recognised this, saying they had themselves proposed it during the pre-election period in a very characteristic way, recognising the positive aspects of participation in governance.
Exchange of views and leaked letter
Letymbiotis said there was also an exchange of views on a number of issues and that the meeting took place in a spirit of respect and honesty governing the cooperation.
Asked whether the government was bothered by the leaking to the media of a letter sent by Papadopoulos to Christodoulides, he said the choice of the person who leaked it does not concern the government.
Issues raised by Papadopoulos
Papadopoulos wrote to Christodoulides on Tuesday requesting a meeting on the possible cabinet reshuffle, forthcoming appointments to the boards of semi-state organisations as incumbent members’ terms near their end, and the way the governance agreement works and the cooperation between them.
Rumours of a cabinet reshuffle have persisted since the parliamentary elections in May, in which Dipa and Edek, two parties that have offered support to Christodoulides, lost all their seats in the House.
