They sent a letter to Parliament with a lawyer, asking for an amendment to the government bill which provides for the termination of the contracts of those consultants who do not hold degrees. They ask to keep their positions and reserve their rights
The deputies of DISY and AKEL who are members of the Institutions Committee rejected in a previous session of the Committee the proposal of DIPA to exclude the current advisers of the President of the Republic, the Speaker of the Parliament, the ministers and the deputy ministers from the provisions of the government bill which, among other things, determines the minimum qualifications that these advisers should possess. This means in practice that, with the passing of the bill into law – this is expected to happen in February or March 2024 – at least four advisers, two in the Presidential and two in the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, will have to be relieved of their duties and the their contract as they do not have a university degree. The Audit Service considers that the employment of these four persons is illegal and with its report, in June 2023, requested the termination of their contracts.
They demand equal treatment
Councilors who are at risk of losing their jobs because they do not have a degree have sent a letter to the Members of Parliament of the Institutions Committee requesting through their lawyer that it be applied to the case of associates of Members of Parliament and parties in Parliament, where a similar law was passed in 2019 which determines their qualifications (The Parliamentary Associates and Related Matters Law) without, however, having retroactive effect. As a result of this, people who do not have a degree should be kept in their positions as associates of parliamentarians and parties. These people continue to work in Parliament.
The law firm in its letter to the MPs states, among other things: "The introduction of a transitional provision (s.b. in the bill) for persons in the same status as our client would not be illegal but on the contrary would constitute exactly the same legal treatment that had also been done for the case of parliamentary partners with the legislation of 2019. Contrary to the principle of equal treatment, it would be contrary to the different treatment of our client or other persons who are in the same position with her in such a way that she is suddenly asked to lose , in retrospect, her work. We ask, therefore, that you consider the issue and that there be a corresponding regulation in the legislation for our client and other persons who are in the same status as her, just as it was foreseen for the parliamentary collaborators in 2019 when the legislation was passed". With the law office concluding with the following: "The above is without prejudice to our client's claims or claims regarding her status and is done without prejudice to her rights."
Amendments by DIKO and Themistokleous
In view of tomorrow's discussion of the matter in the Parliamentary Committee on Institutions, DIKO tabled an amendment so that in case of passing the bill as it is, the consultants – associates who will not hold a degree will continue to hold the position in question until the end of their contract.
For his part, the independent member of parliament Andreas Themistokleous will file an amendment so that the controversial bill does not have retroactive application in case it is passed into law with the aim of keeping all four advisers – partners, two in the Presidential and two in the Deputy Ministry of Shipping in their positions , who do not have a degree.
In order to adopt the above amendments, a majority must be secured. Therefore, tomorrow's session is awaited with interest, where it will become clear whether AKEL and DISY will change their original position.