President meets advisory council for first time

President Nikos Christodoulides met with the members of his Advisory Council for the first time on Wednesday, with a view to the council holding its first meeting next Monday.

The idea for the creation of such a council was in President Christodoulides’s election manifesto, and the process of its creation began in March when he tasked former supreme court judge George Arestis with preparing a proposal on its operations and a list of recommended members.

Cabinet ratified the finalised list of the council’s members earlier this month, with other appointments to the council set to be made in the near future.

Following the council’s first meeting, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said the discussion held at the meeting was very constructive. He added that Christodoulides “considers it very important that the Advisory Council starts its work as soon as possible”.

In addition, he confirmed that the council will convene for the first time on Monday to discuss “practical issues concerning its operation”.

He also said that selections for appointments to the 11 semi-state organisations which will be part of the body will be made when the council is operational. He added that this will be “an open and transparent process based on meritocracy”.

Furthermore, he said the council’s operation will “contribute to the promotion of meritocracy, something that society is crying out for and that the president ranks very high in his priorities”.

Regarding the makeup of the boards of directors of the semi-state organisations, he said Christodoulides has “not yet decided” whether these boards will sit unchanged until the end of his term after their appointment.

Christodoulides has previously said the creation of the Advisory Council “comes within the context of participatory democracy and reform of institutions”.