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Parliamentarians on Tuesday again rejected one of the governments proposed appointees to the Gaming & Casino Supervision Commission due to her links to a private company.
The dispute concerns the appointment to the commission of Maria Kouroupi, a senior manager with Hermes Airports the consortium with the concession to operate the islands two airports.
She is one of three new proposed appointees to the commission. Earlier, MPs whose approval the government needs had turned down Kouroupi. The government stuck to its guns, insisting that no issue of incompatibility of office exists regarding this individual.
But lawmakers on Tuesday again rejected Kouroupis appointment, and called on the government to nominate an alternative.
Kyriacos Hadjiyiannis, chair of the House commerce committee, said the ball is now in the governments court. Any further delay in settling the matter would be the fault of the administration.
Time is a factor, because the new casino resort in Limassol is slated to open at the end of June. By then, the Gaming & Casino Supervision Commission must have all its members in place in order that its functions and decisions are valid.
The Commission’s members are normally seven. Three positions have opened up, as the term of these members expired on February 5.
Akel MP Costas Costa explained their objections to Kouroupis proposed appointment.
You cannot have on the commission someone who is a senior cadre at a company [HERMES], at the airport of which a casino used to operate for more than a year.
He said Kouroupi, as marketing manager at Hermes, had a direct link to tourism-related matters.
According to Costa, the issue is not one of incompatibility of office as the government presents it but rather one of conflict of interest.
Asked whether the back-and-forth between the government and parliament will continue, the MP merely cited the law which states the government needs the commerce committees approval for appointments.
We have rejected this name [KOUROUPI] twice, this cant go on. The casino resort opens in a month-and-a-half, there has to be oversight, and right now it appears that the gaming commission, as it stands, cannot convene.
In a statement later in the day, the government expressed disappointment at parliaments stance. It reiterated that Kouroupi had no direct or indirect interest in the activities of the casino resort.
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