Edek chairman to meet President to discuss budget

Edek chairman Marinos Sizopoulos will meet President Nicos Anastasiades at 10am to discuss the revised state budget for 2021, which is scheduled to be put to the vote on Thursday.

The first bill had been rejected in December after opposition Diko voted against it because the government refused to allow the auditor-general to probe the island’s controversial citizenships for investment programme. Diko had been voting for state budgets throughout the current administration’s term despite disagreement on other issues.

The government accused the party of blackmail for using a matter that was not related to the budget as leverage.

The administration and ruling Disy are now counting on Edek’s three votes to pass the bill but the party has made its own demands, some being difficult to grant.

Most of Edek’s demands have been granted but two MPs insist that more rights should be given to borrowers facing foreclosure.

One of their demands is that a borrower should be given the right to buy their defaulted loan at 50 to 55 per cent of its value before it was auctioned.