Further uproar after beautician appointed to palace post

Opposition parties on Tuesday reprimanded the government over the hiring of a beautician at the presidential palace who had worked as a staffer for President Nikos Christodoulides’ election campaign, echoing a similar earlier appointment at the junior ministry for tourism.

The employment of the beautician, who works as an administrative assistant at the presidential palace, was confirmed by the auditor-general’s office.

Marios Petrides, spokesman for the office, said this latest news “confirms that there exists abuse in the area of appointments.”

He said that during the recent meeting between the auditor-general and the president, the government appeared to realise the problem and committed to drafting legislation regulating the matter of appointments of advisors and consultants to the president and to ministers.

“We will look into the matter and we feel there won’t be a problem when in two to three weeks’ time we will look at who is employed at the presidential palace,” Petrides added.

Akel meanwhile slammed the administration hard over this and other appointments, saying they smack of “nepotism, favouritism and misuse of public moneys.”

In a written statement, Marina Savva – a member of Akel’s central committee – said the government was green-lighting various appointments without transparency, criteria or due process.

“And this despite announcements made during the election campaign about establishing an advisory council that would deal with political appointments, and despite announcements about promoting legislation to regulate the entire process of hiring, qualifications and remuneration of advisors and consultants at the presidential palace.

“So the question arises: what is the advisory council for, and what is the legislation for, if the appointments have already been made? Unless of course this is following in the tracks of the Anastasiades administration, who after every scandal would announce laws and procedures after the fact.”

Akel said also it would raise the issue of appointments at the House ethics committee.

For their part, the Greens spoke of another blunder by the current administration.

“Following the uproar over the appointment of a 19-year-old as a consultant to the deputy ministry of tourism, now comes another faux pas from the Christodoulides government.”

The Greens said the woman in question had performed the same duties when working for Christodoulides’ election campaign, and that “it seems that in this case, too, she did not meet the requisite criteria for the position.

“Unfortunately, these faux pas and gaffes – at least when it comes to appointments – prove that the Christodoulides administration is but a continuation of the Anastasiades administration.”