George Varnava submitted his resignation from the position of First Vice President of EDEK today in a written statement, referring, among other things, to disagreements in the way in which the leadership of the Movement acts. The party's first reaction is to respect its decision, acknowledging its long course and offer. At the same time, the Barnabas peaks were rejected for the decisions of EDEK, noting that they have been taken with transparency and democracy.
Here is the written statement of G. Barnabas:
"After the internal party elections and the election of the new President of the Movement, it was expected that any introversion in the Movement would be replaced by unity, mobilization of forces and competitiveness. However, it seems that the personal agendas and the multiple problems faced by the Movement do not create this perspective. Personally, after the internal party elections and taking into account the 40% of the members of the Movement who honored me with their vote, I paid, with all the honesty that I have, an effort of cooperation and coexistence with the new President and the new leadership of the Movement. My family, but also my personal party path, from my childhood, left me no other option but to behave not divisively, but unitedly, responsibly and above all competitively, so that together we can help the development of the Socialist Movement. No one can dispute this. Any of my references in this statement should not be taken as bitterness due to the fact that with the latest decisions of the Constituent Assembly, I am deprived of the right to be a candidate for MP of the Movement. The reason is that before the Statutory Conference, I had already decided for personal reasons that my chances of being a candidate, even if I were given the right to run, were minimal. I had stated this publicly, both on radio and television shows. The holding of the Constituent Assembly was not the result of a co-decision of a collective body of the Movement. Without being discussed before any collective body of the Movement, in order to reach a codecision, the new leadership of the Movement decided the time of the meeting, appointed a Statutory Committee, in fact determining the conditions under which this Committee would operate. The matter was brought before the Politburo after two personal letters I sent to the President of the Movement and a few weeks after their decision to hold a conference. Also, the recommendations of the Three-Member Statutory Committee for the statutory changes should have been sent earlier. to the Provincial Organizations and to convene Local Meetings in all the Provinces, so that all the members of the Movement could share these suggestions. Instead, the suggestions were sent to the District Committees, which were obliged in a very short period of time to give their views and suggestions on them. Because of the above, the vast majority of the members of the Movement, who participated in the Extraordinary Statutory Conference, to receive in their hands a multi-page document with about 40 proposals for Statutory changes at the time of the Conference, something that provoked the reactions of delegates, because it was unthinkable to be called to vote to amend the Statute on very important issues that would change The function of the Movement and not to have studied the proposals in advance. Regarding the proposal for the appointment of various party and state officials, I believe that in a small party such as EDEK they could be appointed, despite the fact that my position is that the sovereign people are the ones who decide who will represent them, in many The aim of these restrictions should be the opportunity for young people and especially young people to be able to claim a party or state office. This, however, must be done in the right way, with a transitional period, so as not to create any problems in the operation of the Movement. Unfortunately, the decision taken at the Constituent Assembly, which is fully respected, and which was supported by the new leadership of the Movement, I believe that it will bring opposite results from the intended ones. With this decision, 80% of the Parliamentary Group is immediately deforested, and if the President of the Movement decides to run in the Limassol District, then 100% of the Parliamentary Group is deforested. Also, with this decision, Municipal Councilors of the Movement are affected, who are currently in their second or third term. Therefore, almost all the prominent front-line executives of the Movement, who have social acceptance, will not be able to help the Movement in the upcoming Parliamentary or Municipal Elections. I believe, since it was decided to have the terms in the statute, retroactivity should not apply or if there was still retroactivity, the application of these restrictions, to start from the following Parliamentary elections, as decided in the Statute of October 2013, on the basis of which the Statute Committee worked. The reason was to give the opportunity to prepare new executives of the Movement, to be able to be actively involved in party and social activity, and to gain social scope, in order to smoothly replace the old executives. This could be achieved with the contribution and help of the existing prominent executives of the Movement. I repeat, that my opinion has nothing to do with my personal issue, since the chances of being a candidate if I still had the right were very small . I consider that the problems faced by the Movement are great and this is evident from the recent written resignation of the President, the Vice President and the Organizing Secretary of the Movement's Provincial Organization, the Secretary of International Relations and other executives in various Local Organizations. I believe that the actions of the new leadership will lead the Movement with mathematical precision, with big problems in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Based on this, the results and the course of the Movement will not be what is sought, nor what is desired. EDEK is led to adventures. As a responsible and honest person, who does not agree with the way the new leadership of the Movement acts, I consider it dishonest to remain in the leadership of the Movement. For this reason, after much reflection and Consideration, I decided to submit my resignation from the position of First Vice President. In this way the opportunity is given, as the new leadership claims, for the renewal of the Movement. I hope an older young executive will take up duties in the new leadership. Let everyone take their responsibilities, for the new course of the Movement, and any future results. As a Member of Parliament of the Movement, I will continue to offer, with all my strength until the end of my term. EDEK: Democratic right of the competitor - His long course is recognized and appreciated
Regarding Barnabas' resignation, sources from the party state as the first reaction that he was characterized as a democratic right and that EDEK fully respects his decision. Also, the same sources stressed that George Barnabas is an executive with a long career, which is appreciated. Regarding what he states in his statement regarding the decisions of the Movement, it was stated that all the decisions have been taken with absolute transparency and democracy.