The AGONA Initiative for the party’s reorganization is calling on EDEK members to turn out in large numbers for the extraordinary Congress on July 5.

Mass participation, healthy and robust political dialogue, free expression, and solidarity are our weapons to ensure that EDEK’s socialist voice is strong and influential, the initiative states in its announcement.

READ ALSO: EDEK to Hold Extraordinary Pan-Cypriot Congress Following a Proposal by Nikos Anastasiou

The statement in full:

At the latest meeting of EDEK’s Central Committee, we took the lead in calling for the Movement to open up to society, following the disheartening results of the May parliamentary elections.

It is puzzling why those responsible for the electoral defeat—with the exception of our fellow candidate, President Nikos Anastasiou—did not assume their fair share of political responsibility by submitting their resignations. 

We have demanded—and continue to demand—with specific proposals, in accordance with the party’s bylaws, to convene a Statutory Congress and subsequently a Regular Pan-Cypriot Political and Electoral Congress in a manner that ensures the greatest possible participation of EDEK members and supporters of EDEK, through an open, transparent, and democratically enshrined process. Our goal was, and remains, to restore EDEK to its rightful place at the forefront of society and the nation, through transparency and democracy.

We acknowledge the President’s proposal to convene an Extraordinary Congress as the first step in this direction and regard it as the first victory for . 

That is why we call on all EDEK members to turn out in force on July 5 to demonstrate in the clearest possible way that the socialist voice of EDEK is strong and influential. 

We are aware of the difficulties, as well as the maneuvers that may be attempted. Our intention is for all party members to have a voice and play a meaningful role at the Extraordinary Congress. We will not accept the exclusion or silencing of EDEK members from the decisions that will determine the future of the movement. Practices of exclusion have no place in EDEK’s new course.

We take it as a given, based on the public statements of the Movement’s officials and the relevant decisions of the Central Committee, that the Extraordinary Congress is open to all, and we look forward to broad participation. 

We demand an explicit statement, without footnotes or asterisks, that all expulsions in recent years be rescinded as if they had never occurred. Only in this way will we demonstrate in practice that we have understood the message of the elections, that we are turning away from introversion, and that we are reaching out to society.

A socialist interpretation, approach, and resolution of everyday problems is now more timely and urgent than ever, since Cypriot society is facing corruption and impunity, economic decline, the commodification of everything—but above all: political inaction, sloppiness, and superficiality, which undermine institutions and alienate citizens from public life.

The conference on July 5 is decisive. It will either go down in history as a substantive conference of reconstruction, or as a dismal repetition of a discordant narrative—one of those that have led to the current situation.

We remain committed to our demands, with the goal of creating the necessary conditions that will lead the party into the future. Through democratic and majority-based processes, we aim to achieve:

1. A radical overhaul and update of the central membership registry, while ensuring absolute transparency, credibility, and democratic oversight of the process. 

2. Holding the first Statutory Congress in the fall and, subsequently, following the elections for the District Committees,  a Pan-Cypriot Political and Electoral Congress.

3. Appointment of an independent auditing firm to conduct a financial audit covering the last 10 years, as well as to carry out a study on the Movement’s financial sustainability.

4. Disclosure of all court cases in which the Movement is a party.

5. Medium-term organizational restructuring by the time of the Pan-Cyprian Congress, so that the General Director’s increased centralized powers are abolished and the position is eliminated. 

6. Establishment of a Constitutional Committee, pursuant to Article 21, with a mutually agreed-upon Secretary, tasked with preparing the party for the Constitutional Convention. The goal is to ensure that all proposals from EDEK members are recorded and categorized, and that they are presented and submitted for a vote at the Constitutional Convention.

Fellow comrades, mass participation, healthy and robust political dialogue, free expression, and solidarity are our weapons.

On July 5, we will bring EDEK back into the spotlight.

A campaign initiative for the reconstruction of EDEK.