Movement for Social Democracy

Movement for Social Democracy
Movement for Social Democracy EDEK
Κινήμα Σοσιαλδημοκρατών ΕΔΕΚ
Leader Yiannakis Omirou
Founded 1969
Headquarters Nicosia, Cyprus
Ideology Social democracy,
Democratic socialism
Political position Centre-left
International affiliation Socialist International
European affiliation Party of European Socialists
European Parliament Group Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Official colors Red, Green
House of Representatives
5 / 59
European Parliament
1 / 6
Website
edek.org.cy
Politics of Cyprus
Political parties
Elections

The Movement for Social Democracy EDEK (Greek: Κινήμα Σοσιαλδημοκρατών ΕΔΕΚ — Kinima Sosialdimokraton EDEK) is a Social Democratic party in Cyprus. It was originally founded by Dr Vasos Lyssaridis in 1969 as the United Democratic Union of Centre, EDEK (Greek: Ενιαία Δημοκρατική Ένωση Κέντρου, ΕΔΕΚ) and it was socialist party. It has gradually evolved into a social-democratic political party. It is currently led by Yiannakis Omirou.

In the 2001 general elections it won 6.5% of the votes case and 4 of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives of Cyprus. In the elections of 21 May 2006, the party won 8.9 % and 5 out of 56 seats. It is a member of the Party of European Socialists.

Members were drawn from the committee for re-establishment of democracy in Greece, and fighters from Lyssaridis's group during the 1964 clashes between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The party supported president Makarios III and a lot of its members were part of the armed resistance to the 15 July 1974 coup against him. The leader of the youth section of the party, Doros Loizou, was shot and killed in an attempt to murder Lyssaridis himself in August 1974.

Several members of the party's youth section (EDEN) with Trotskyist tendencies were expelled between 1979 and 1984 and formed Aristeri Pteryga (Left Wing).

EDEK backed Dimitris Christofias of AKEL in the second round of the February 2008 presidential election. On the proposal of EDEK's Political Bureau, 109 members of its Central Committee voted in favor of supporting Christofias, five voted against, and two abstained.[1] In February 2010 EDEK quit from the government coalition due to its dispute concerning the decisions of Dimitris Christofias in the Cyprus Problem.[2][3]

Presidents of the Movement

  • From 1969-2001: Dr.Vasos Lyssaridis
  • From 2001-Today: Yiannakis Omirou

References

External links