EDEK withdraws from Cyprus government coalition

Cyprus’ Socialists Party, EDEK Social Democrats’ Movement, decided last night to withdraw from the government coalition.

The decision was taken by EDEK Central Committee, with 115 votes in favor, eight against and three abstentions.

In his speech, EDEK President Yiannakis Omirou talked about his party’s ''total disagreement'' with Cypriot President Demetris Christofias' strategy on the Cyprus problem.

Omirou said that EDEK supported Christofias in the second round of the presidential elections in February 2008 on the basis of “specific written commitments for the solution we want to achieve”, adding that EDEK’s participation in the government was to serve the efforts to reach that pursued solution.

But today, he added, “we can say with certainty, that those commitments have not been kept and ''despite EDEK’s continuous appeals and efforts to change the course, there was no positive response''.

In his speech, Omirou told the party Central Committee that EDEK must withdraw from the coalition government, saying this is a duty and a responsibility the party must meet.

“It is politically responsible and morally correct. Staying in government would be a political paradox as well as morally unacceptable and contrary to the history and the principles of EDEK,” he added.

EDEK participated in the government with two Ministers, Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment Michalis Polynikis and Minister of Communication and Works Nikos Nikolaides, who will be tendering their resignations to President Christofias.