The government will remain firmly on a centre right course following President Nikos Christodoulides’ partial cabinet reshuffle, deputy spokesman Victor Papadopoulos said on Wednesday.

Papadopoulos said the government’s political direction remained unchanged despite the introduction of new ministers and internal transfers.

Christodoulides announced in all some four changes to his cabinet after months of speculation over the future of several ministers, opting for a narrower reshuffle than had been widely anticipated.

Diko’s Evanthia Tsolaki was appointed transport minister, replacing Alexis Vafeades, while Diko MP Christos Senekis succeeds Maria Panayiotou as agriculture minister.

Tsolaki is a Limassol lawyer and served three consecutive terms as a Limassol municipal councillor between 2002 and 2016, earning the highest number of preference votes on the Diko ticket in both the 2006 and 2011 local elections.

During her time in local government, Tsolaki chaired the municipality’s social welfare committee, where she spearheaded the creation of Cyprus’ first municipal social grocery and expanded welfare programmes for vulnerable families.

Tina Pavlou, who contested the recent parliamentary elections with Disy backing, becomes deputy social welfare minister, while Clea Papaellina moves from the deputy social welfare ministry to become deputy culture minister, replacing Vasiliki Kassianidou.

Pavlou is best known as the long serving clinical director of Ayia Skepi, Cyprus’ largest rehabilitation centre for addiction treatment, a role she has held since 1998.

Under her leadership, Ayia Skepi offered programmes for adults, women, mothers, adolescents and families.

Pavlou’s appointment drew particular attention after reports had suggested she was in line for the health ministry before ultimately being named deputy social welfare minister.

Senekis is a lawyer who has been involved in Edek’s organisations since his time as a student.

All three new cabinet appointees contested the parliamentary elections earlier this year.

Tsolaki stood for Diko in Limassol, Senekis represented the party in Famagusta and Pavlou ran in Nicosia.

The reshuffle results in the departure of Panayiotou, Vafeades and Kassianidou, while several ministers who had been widely expected to leave remain in office.

New environment commissioner Elias Myrianthous

Among them are Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides and Deputy Tourism Minister Costas Koumis, whose portfolios had featured prominently in weeks of media speculation.

The appointments have bolstered Diko’s presence within the cabinet, as the party now holds the transport and agriculture ministries in addition to the health and energy portfolios already occupied by Charalambides and Michalis Damianos.

Diko president Nicholas Papadopoulos welcomed the outcome, arguing the party had secured “the minimum of what it should have received”.

The reshuffle also exposed strains among Christodoulides’ governing partners.

Dipa, despite retaining the defence and labour ministries through Vasilis Palmas and Marinos Moussioutas, is reportedly aggravated by the handling of the process.

According to local media, party chair Marios Garoyian had not been consulted during the reshuffle discussions and only became aware of the final decisions after they were publicly announced.

Edek also voiced disappointment after losing its representation at cabinet level following the departure of agriculture minister Maria Panayiotou.

Although former Edek MP Elias Myrianthous was appointed environment commissioner, party spokesman George Georgiou said Edek had sought continued cabinet representation to allow a more active role in implementing the government’s programme, arguing the party had played a significant part in shaping it.

He added that Edek’s future relationship with the government would be assessed by the party’s new leadership following its internal elections.

The appointments also prompted criticism within Disy, with party vice president Yiannis Karousos arguing that party officials should not accept positions in a government while Disy remains in opposition.

Karousos said those accepting appointments should have respected “the thousands of Disy voters who trusted them” and the principles on which they sought election.

He also criticised Christodoulides, saying he should not have sought to appoint figures from “a party that is in the opposition.”

The reshuffle also includes changes to commissioners, with Panayiotis Palates, one of Christodoulides’ closest confidants within the palace, being appointed director of the president’s office after serving as commissioner for the citizen.

Irene Poyiadji succeeds him in that role, while former Edek MP Elias Myrianthous becomes environment commissioner.