Cyprus Socialists supports Christofia’s candidacy

The Movement of Social Democrats EDEK has decided to support the candidacy of House of Representatives President and Secretary General of the leftwing AKEL party Demetris Christofias in Sunday’s second and final round of presidential elections in Cyprus.

Member of the European Parliament and former Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides is the other candidate who will contest the run off election. He is mainly supported by rightwing Democratic Rally party.

The members of EDEΚ Central Committee were called to decide on the Political Bureau’s proposal to back Christofias candidacy. A total of 109 members of EDEK’s Central Committee voted for Christofias’ candidacy, five voted against and two abstained.

EDEK President Yiannakis Omirou told the press that “the decision was taken after a long meeting during which a constructive and democratic spirit prevailed”.

The decision was primarily based on the stance of the two candidates during the April 2004 referendum on UN Secretary General’s plan for a solution to the Cyprus problem which the Greek Cypriots rejected by an overwhelming majority, Omirou noted.

In the first round of elections last Sunday, Kasoulides secured 150,996 votes or 33.51%, Christofias garnered 150,016 or 33.29%, and outgoing President Tassos Papadopoulos, who was supported by the centre right Democratic Party (DIKO), EDEK, the European Party and the Ecologists and Environmentalists Movement received 143,249 votes or 31.79%.

DIKO has also decided to back Christofias’ candidacy. Four parties, namely AKEL, DIKO, EDEK and the Ecologists had formed a coalition government in February 2003 under Papadopoulos. Six months ago AKEL withdrew from the government and its leader is now a presidential hopeful.