Movement for Social Democracy
Encyclopedia
The Movement for Social Democracy 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.
In February 2010 EDEK quit from the government coalition due to its dispute concerning the decisions of Dimitris Christofias
in the Cyprus Problem.
Presidents of the Movement
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Ενιαία Δημοκρατική Ένωση Κέντρου, ΕΔΕΚ) and it was socialist party. It has gradually evolved into a social-democratic political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. It is currently led by Yiannakis Omirou
Yiannakis Omirou
Yiannakis Omirou is a Cypriot politician. He has been President of the EDEK since 2001.Omirou was born in Paphos. He studied law at the National Kapodestrian University of Athens. He is single....
.
In the 2001 general elections
Cypriot legislative election, 2001
Parliamentary elections were held in Cyprus on 27 May 2001. The result was a victory for AKEL, which won 20 of the 56 seats. Voter turnout was 91.8%.-Results:...
it won 6.5% of the votes case and 4 of the 56 seats in the House of Representatives of Cyprus
House of Representatives of Cyprus
The House of Representatives is the parliament of Cyprus. It has 59 members elected for a five year term, 56 members by proportional representation and 3 observer members representing the Maronite, Latin and Armenian minorities...
. In the elections of 21 May 2006
Cypriot legislative election, 2006
Parliamentary elections were held in Cyprus on 21 May 2006. AKEL and the Democratic Rally both won 18 of the 56 seats. Voter turnout was 89.0%.-Results:...
, the party won 8.9 % and 5 out of 56 seats. It is a member of the Party of European Socialists
Party of European Socialists
The Party of European Socialists is a European political party led by Sergei Stanishev, former Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The PES comprises social-democratic national-level political parties primarily from Member state of the European Union, as well as other nations of the European continent. The...
.
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
Turkish Cypriots
Turkish Cypriots are the ethnic Turks and members of the Turkish-speaking ethnolinguistic community of the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The term is used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, whose Ottoman Turkish forbears colonised the island in 1571...
. The party supported president Makarios III
Makarios III
Makarios III , born Andreas Christodolou Mouskos , was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus ....
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
Dimitris Christofias
Dimitris Christofias also Demetris is a left-wing Greek Cypriot politician and the current and sixth President of the Republic of Cyprus. Christofias was the General Secretary of AKEL and is Cyprus's first, and the European Union's first and so far only, communist head of state. He won the 2008...
of AKEL in the second round of the February 2008 presidential election
Cypriot presidential election, 2008
A presidential election was held in Cyprus on 17 February 2008, with the second round held on 24 February 2008. The second-round winner, and thus the President of Cyprus for the next term, is Dimitris Christofias....
. 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.
In February 2010 EDEK quit from the government coalition due to its dispute concerning the decisions of Dimitris Christofias
Dimitris Christofias
Dimitris Christofias also Demetris is a left-wing Greek Cypriot politician and the current and sixth President of the Republic of Cyprus. Christofias was the General Secretary of AKEL and is Cyprus's first, and the European Union's first and so far only, communist head of state. He won the 2008...
in the Cyprus Problem.
Presidents of the Movement
- From 1969-2001: Dr.Vasos Lyssaridis
- From 2001-Today: Yiannakis OmirouYiannakis OmirouYiannakis Omirou is a Cypriot politician. He has been President of the EDEK since 2001.Omirou was born in Paphos. He studied law at the National Kapodestrian University of Athens. He is single....