Newsroom
President Nicos Christodoulides broke his silence Monday following the resignation of Charalambos Charalambous, head of the Presidential Office, calling it “an act of self-confidence” and asserting that he has nothing to hide.
“In such moments of crisis, and this is certainly a moment of crisis, I am not trying to present things differently,” Christodoulides said. “Any leader, when his hands are clean, must be sober.” He promised a written statement on the matter soon.
The president also weighed in on the future of the Independent Social Support Agency, whose First Lady, Philippa Karsera, resigned last week amid backlash over a viral video targeting the couple. Christodoulides said he is considering a complete abolition of the agency or possibly merging it into the State Scholarships Foundation. “Again, some will find reasons to accuse me, since I appoint, the government appoints, the Council of Ministers appoints, and the president of the organization,” he said.
Despite the planned changes, Christodoulides stressed that he will continue to protect the thousands of students who have benefited from the Agency’s programs.
The president also noted that foreign states and the European Union have played a significant role in investigating the controversial video that triggered the political turmoil.
More details are expected as Christodoulides prepares to release his full written response.
