President Nikos Christodoulides has dismissed suggestions of a disagreement between the government and the Attorney-General over the proposed reform of the Legal Service, expressing hope that the legislation will be approved by parliament as soon as possible.
Speaking on Tuesday upon his arrival at the opening ceremony of the new judicial year at the Supreme Constitutional Court, the president said the Attorney-General had expressed his own personal views, which he described as fully respected.
“There is no disagreement. The Attorney-General expressed his own personal opinion. Beyond that, the executive branch has placed a very specific proposal before the House of Representatives and I hope it will be approved as soon as possible,” he said.
‘A reform that should have happened long ago’
Christodoulides stressed that the reform has been a longstanding demand and is repeatedly identified in reports by European and international institutions examining the rule of law in Cyprus.
“This is a reform that should have happened a long time ago. Our government had the courage to bring it before the House of Representatives and I hope there will be a positive outcome as soon as possible,” he said.
Seeking new Erhürman meeting
Referring to the Cyprus issue, the president said he intends to ask Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman to arrange a meeting next week, expressing hope that there will be a positive response.
He said he remains in contact with UN Secretary-General António Guterres' personal envoy, María Ángela Holguín, although no date has yet been set for her next visit to Cyprus.
According to Christodoulides, there are specific proposals regarding the three issues raised by the UN Secretary-General, which he said were received positively.
He added that he has already instructed the Greek Cypriot negotiator to contact the Turkish Cypriot side in order to arrange a new meeting.
UN succession and diplomacy
Asked about discussions concerning the next UN Secretary-General and reports of a possible Turkish candidate, the president said the Republic of Cyprus is monitoring developments and remains in contact with European partners and other countries.
“Turkey is doing its job, and we are doing ours,” he said.
He added that, at this stage, what matters most is “the work being done behind the scenes rather than public statements”.
Fuel prices under review
Responding to a question about fuel purchases from the north, Christodoulides said the government has allocated more than €1 billion to address the impact of rising prices.
He stated that market conditions and fuel prices are being assessed on a daily basis and that the government will continue to intervene wherever necessary.
Source: CNA
