After years of on-off discussions, a government bill on the protection of whistleblowers will go to the House plenum for a vote next week.
Initially drafted as a legislative proposal by Akel MP Irini Charalambides, the item affords state protection to persons reporting corruption in the private and public sectors. Whistleblowers cannot be sacked, or downgraded, and will be protected by police if threatened.
Speaking at the House legal affairs committee on Monday, Justice Minister Stefi Drakou said that as no amendments were expected from the parties, the bill would be voted on at the House plenary session on January 20.
The bill is connected with one establishing an independent anti-corruption authority while a third piece of legislation regulates lobbying. The latter provides that state and elected officials must declare their contacts along with minutes of what was discussed.
Approval of the bills is included in the conditions for the disbursement of 97 million from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Fund.
Regarding the proposed anti-corruption authority, the justice minister said she hoped ongoing differences in opinion would not delay the bill’s passage.
Under the proposal, the authority will have its own budget. However appointments to it will not be subject to parliamentary oversight – with some MPs warning of the danger that the government of the day might pick people who are not beyond reproach in terms of their impartiality.
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