President Nikos Christodoulides admitted on Friday that mistakes were made on the appointment of advisers as cabinet is expected to adopt specific criteria for the position.

The decisions were made based on the current framework which is “not right”, the president said.

He was speaking following the uproar regarding the hiring of a series of government staff with the latest being a woman with a criminal record at the deputy culture ministry. A beautician had also been appointed to work at the presidential palace and a 19-year-old woman without a university degree as a consultant to the deputy tourism minister.

“We moved within the framework that existed, the framework that we found and worked. From the facts it seems that this framework was not right and yes, mistakes were made,” the president said when asked about the recent scandal.

“I immediately met with the auditor general,” he said.

The president added that the next cabinet meeting will adopt a specific proposal, perhaps even stricter than the standards that exist for parliamentary assistants. The proposal is currently being prepared in cooperation with the auditor general, the law commissioner, and the legal service.

Asked if he thought he had made personal mistakes in response to an article in the Alithia newspaper about favouritism regarding the hiring of a person from his close circle at the palace, the president noted that many people left their job to be by his side.

“When I started the campaign, not only was I alone, but some people stopped even talking to me because I chose to follow a lonely path. Some people left their jobs to be by my side in this difficult effort and it was proven by the result that these people through their efforts, through their work got results.”

He clarified that any criticism should only be directed towards him and not any other person.