A fresh dispute has emerged within EDEK ahead of the party's leadership election, centred on who has the authority to determine key aspects of the voting process.
At issue is whether the party's Central Committee, during its meeting on 30 July, already decided the rules governing the election of a new president, or whether matters such as polling stations and the presence of candidate observers should be determined by the Central Electoral Committee.
The disagreement, which has surfaced just days before party members go to the polls, has opened a new front in EDEK's internal contest and raised questions about how the election will be conducted.
Conflicting accounts
A party source told Politis that the Central Committee had already taken decisions covering the conduct of the election and that minutes of the meeting exist.
However, another source said no decisions had been taken regarding polling centres or the presence of observers and that these issues were due to be examined by the Central Electoral Committee.
Mavronikolas demands publication of decisions
Leadership candidate Koulis Mavronikolas responded after Politis revealed a document from the Central Electoral Committee recording objections from one of the candidates to proposed election arrangements.
According to the document, the candidate objected both to the presence of candidate observers in polling stations and to the proposed voting centres, warning that he would file an appeal if the measures were adopted.
Mavronikolas has since confirmed he is the candidate referred to and argues that the relevant decisions had already been approved by the Central Committee on 30 July 2026.
He called on the party to publish those decisions immediately.
"At the last moment, some are attempting to sow confusion and division in pursuit of their own interests. I will not allow it," he said.
Mavronikolas stated that he had not attended the July meeting and was the only candidate who had not appointed a representative to the Electoral Committee.
He argued that the other candidates had participated in the meeting and voted on decisions now being questioned.
"I expect the party to immediately publish the decisions of the Central Committee so that everyone knows exactly what was decided and every attempt at misinformation can be brought to an end," he said.
Christodoulou Makri backs Electoral Committee proposals
Fellow candidate Sophia Christodoulou Makri has publicly endorsed the Electoral Committee's recommendations and questioned opposition to the proposed transparency measures.
She stressed that she was not the candidate who objected to the proposals and said she fully supported the committee's recommendations.
Those proposals include:
- The presence of one observer from each candidate at polling stations.
- The use of neutral and suitable voting venues in Cyprus and abroad.
According to Christodoulou Makri, observers would have no role in the conduct of voting but would serve as an additional transparency safeguard.
She also said polling centres should meet standards relating to accessibility, functionality, security and ballot secrecy.
Debate over authority
Christodoulou Makri placed particular emphasis on the issue of institutional authority.
She argued that the Central Electoral Committee is the body directly responsible for determining how the election should be conducted and noted that its members were appointed by the Central Committee itself.
"Its recommendations cannot be treated selectively or challenged without a specific and serious reason," she said.
According to her, safeguarding the Electoral Committee's role is essential to ensuring the integrity of the election process and equal treatment of both candidates and voters.
"Why the resistance?"
Christodoulou Makri also questioned why opposition had emerged to measures she described as standard transparency safeguards.
"The more a simple transparency process is debated or obstructed, the more reasonable questions arise," she said.
She asked why the presence of observers, a common feature of public elections, should be viewed as a threat and called on the other candidates and party officials to clearly state whether they support the Electoral Committee's recommendations and, if not, explain their objections.
Vote on 5 September
EDEK members will elect a new party leader on 5 September 2026, following a date approved by the party's Central Committee.
Three candidates are contesting the presidency:
- Koulis Mavronikolas
- Sophia Christodoulou Makri
- Giorgos Kouttoukis
