The EDEK Initiative Group for Salvation and Reorganization of the EDEK, whose members declare themselves EDEK members, clarifies that they do not intend to make a new move or party.
The group gave a press conference today, which was attended by, among others, MEP Dimitris Papadakis, Former Secretary of the Central Committee, Former Member of the Politburo EDEK, Chrysos Touloupis, Chairman of the Local Committee EDEK Tseriou, Deputy Mayor Komos T. Themis Polyviou, the Former President of EDEK Youth Stefani Andreou, the Chairman of EDN Larnaca District Committee, Panagiotis Evangelidis, Antistasiakos, Dimitris Filippidis, the former President of Youth L, Komotos Antistasiakos, Former Guard Officer Vassos Lyssaridis, Stelios Potamaris and others.
Giannis Pieridis, Former Member of the Politburo and Central Committee of EDEK, said that EDEK is in a whirlwind that has plagued it since 2017 and not since some people went to court.
The recent conference of the 18-hour warning and the participation of the 90 members present, was - he said - "what made us decide that we must finally do something important, the glass overflowed". He added that "authoritarianism and pseudology have been established as a method of action by the current de facto leadership of EDEK which, despite being considered outcast by the majority of its members, insists on keeping the party under control with its claws and teeth. and its policing ".
He continued that "neither the court decisions, nor our constant urgings, nor the recent appeals from the deputies, touched M. Sizopoulos and those around him".
He added that "the repeated violation of the statute, the circumvention of the decisions of the party organs and the systematic alteration of the practices made by Marinos Sizopoulos with the tolerance or support of a small group of executives, have undermined the democratic function of EDEK", For example, in 2017 the EDEK General Assembly unanimously decided the party's position on the 2018 budgets and the next day - he said - Mr. Sizopoulos voted the exact opposite.
Mr. Pieridis stated that they claim the restoration of the party's register by removing from it those that the Sizopoulos group has illegally and substitutively added and the return to the register of those who have been deliberately deleted from it. "The 2017 register can be the basis and guarantee for the smooth running of the party," he said.
They also want, he added, the convening and holding of a new conference with established democratic procedures acceptable to all. "A conference that will chart the new course of EDEK according to its socialist ideology and the patriotic line that historically characterized it. How do we do that? "With our active participation in mass and democratic processes that will not be questioned from anywhere."
That is why, he continued, that together with many other historical executives and regardless of their individual differences, they have taken the initiative to hold a mass gathering of members and friends of EDEK on a date that will be announced soon.
Asked if Mr. Sizopoulos insists and their efforts are in vain, if they are thinking of proceeding with something more radical, in founding a new movement or party, Giannis Pieridis answered "at this stage we are not discussing anything else. We are EDEKites, we are EDEK. That is why we will claim the proper functioning and re-establishment of the party. We are not discussing the creation of another party in general. "
Asked about the presidency, he said that they will not take part in this discussion because they are only interested in the salvation of EDEK.
Asked about Mr. Sizopoulos's motivation and what purposes he wants to serve, remaining at EDEK, Mr. Pieridis expressed the view that Marinos Sizopoulos wants "the mark of EDEK for playing the game, playing in his political and economic life place ". Asked to say what "game" means, even if Mr. Sizopoulos has inappropriate, intertwined relations, he replied: "I guess so. There are issues that will soon come to the surface. So far for now ".
He questioned the tough positions he expresses on the Cyprus issue in the ICC, what made him promote them in Europe, saying that even meetings with parties in Greece took years.
Louiza Mavrommati, Former Member of the Politburo, Former Member of the Central Committee of EDEK and Former Deputy Mayor of Engomi, also raised the issue of Mr. Sizopoulos's positions vis-στο-vis the GESS, "which do not express the party's positions, do not the will of the party voters ". In society, he added, there is a belief that Mr. Sizopoulos's positions "are purely driven by personal interests."
The reason they are making this difficult effort for the salvation of EDEK, said Ms. Mavrommati, is "a democratic conference, where the participants will vote according to their will". Mr. Sizopoulos to leave the de facto position he holds, which is illegal and against the statute.
Michalis Terepeis, Former Secretary of the Central Committee and Former Member of the Politburo of EDEK said that the 2017 conference was held with a register of 9500 members and immediately after, without a decision of collective bodies, Mr. Sizopoulos started a process of clearing the register, to which there was a reaction. He added, the list of those deleted never appeared before the PG, noting that 2500-3000 people were removed from the register, some of them still do not know.
The register, he continued, was given at the end of August before the last conference of EDEK where he found out as secretary that in two months "that Mr. Sizopoulos did not hand it over to us" were added, about 800 people, who were not in any register of the party.
Financial EDEK
The party fund and the party assets are the second big issue that requires serious and in-depth investigation, said Mr. Pieridis, asking for the creation of a committee to investigate the management that has been done, who controls EDEK's finances and who owns the property. of the party. "There is a suspicious silence about the EDEK office and the Lyssaridis apartment building," he said.
Michalis Terepeis stated that the Lysaridis apartment building has been granted "with a secret contract" for long-term exploitation by a specific company for 3000 euros per month for the entire building, while the company spreads that it rented only the penthouse for 80.000 euros. The family that owns the company, he added, have also become members of EDEK. "It is clear to us that there are agreements under the table."
Mr. Terepeis also referred to the party's checks issued by the EDEK finance secretary. "It is imperative, an investigation must be carried out into EDEK's finances," he said.
The Initiative Group for Salvation of EDEK also published a text with their answers to allegations - as mentioned - that Marinos Sizopoulos has made from time to time.
Message from EDEK MPs
Recourse to the party base, through a democratic congress, is the only solution, the situation in which EDEK has found itself can not continue as it is, nor can it be its operating framework, the "message of concurrence" states. EDEK MPs, Kostis Efstathiou and Elias Myrianthous, which was read by Louiza Mavrommati.
"The quintessence of a socialist and democratic party such as EDEK is respect for the democratic principle. She insists that the collective bodies are elected and operate on the basis of freedom of thought, freedom of organization, respect for the member, friend of EDEK, the Articles of Association and the other point of view ".
That is why the announcement of the Congress should be made as soon as possible on the basis of a commonly accepted register, far from rivalries and arbitrariness, say Efstathiou and Myrianthous, adding that only through the renaissance can the party regain its dynamics. which presupposes respect for the constitutional provisions and the principle of democratic legitimacy.
"EDEK has a history, it has a present and it must have a future. "Future through its democratic physiognomy and operation", the two EDEK MPs conclude in their message.