Former Limassol mayor Nikos Nikolaidis has accused figures he describes as EDEK’s established party apparatus of waging a “relentless war” against Sofia Christodoulou Makri’s candidacy for the party presidency.
In a statement on social media, Nikolaidis said recent developments had made the stakes of the leadership election clear, warning that transparency and equal treatment were being undermined.
Dispute over congress decisions
According to Nikolaidis, the campaign began before Christodoulou Makri announced her candidacy and targeted what her bid represents. He alleged that the same party mechanism had brought EDEK to the brink of dissolution.
He claimed that there had initially been an attempt to misrepresent and ultimately overturn decisions taken at the recent Extraordinary Congress. These included decisions concerning the reunification of the party and the conduct of a financial audit.
Nikolaidis added that the validity of Christodoulou Makri’s candidacy was challenged following its announcement, despite her years of service to EDEK and the right of younger party figures to compete on equal terms.
Membership list not provided
Three days before the election, Christodoulou Makri had still not received the membership list on which the vote would be based, Nikolaidis said.
He argued that this breached provisions of the legislation governing political parties concerning transparency and the equal treatment of candidates in internal elections.
Observer decision overturned
Nikolaidis also alleged that decisions taken by EDEK’s Electoral Committee had been overturned. These included a decision allowing representatives of the candidates to be present as observers at polling centres.
He said interference in the committee’s independence undermined transparency and could create conditions for actions on election day intended to prevent Christodoulou Makri’s election.
Appeal to EDEK members
Nikolaidis called on EDEK members to deliver their response at the ballot box on Saturday.
He framed the choice as whether they would allow what he described as the party’s continued path towards dissolution and the distortion of the freely expressed will of the majority of its members.
