No changes to ‘philosophy’ of local govt reform before elections

There will be no alterations made to local government reforms which will “affect their philosophy” in any way, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters at a photograph exhibition, he said there will “certainly be no changes which will affect the philosophy of the reform,” and that after the elections, “I hope there will be no challenges and problems and there will be no changes.

“If there are [problems], we are definitely hear to deal with them,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Christodoulides had held a meeting with the leaders of all the political parties represented in parliament about the forthcoming electoral reforms.

Evaluating that meeting, he said “we have common goals with the parliamentary parties, to work, to do whatever is possible.”

He added that there are “absolute convergences” between his position and those of the political parties, and said they have “common goals and pursuits.”

One notable absence from the meeting was Disy leader Annita Demetriou, but Christodoulides was quick to point out that she had sent someone else from her party to attend.

He described Demetriou’s non-attendance as “not even an issue” and stressed that Demetriou “certainly had other obligations.”

“We should not discuss an issue which really does not exist,” he added.