Nicosia court issues injunction barring Edek from holding congress

Nicosia district court on Thursday issued an injunction barring socialist party Edek from holding an electoral congress planned for this coming Sunday, or elections scheduled for the weekend after, on penalty of arrest in the event of disobedience.

The injunction had been sought by a group of 15 persons intending to stand as candidates for the party’s new central committee. It’s understood that among the 15 were seven individuals whose candidacies the party had earlier thrown out, on the grounds that they did not file their candidacies in person.

The court orders Edek and/or its officials not to proclaim or carry out the electoral congress, or the elections, until such time as it issues new instructions.

Any objections to the injunction must be filed by this coming Monday.

The development was the latest episode in protracted in-fighting as Edek prepares to elect a new president.

Internal disputes over the legitimacy of member rolls have led to litigation in courts. The row has focused on the validity of the party members’ register with critics accusing the leadership of irregularities as regards who can vote in order to hang on to power. The leadership countered that everything is being done by the book and suggested that opponents are trying to create problems because they know they have no chance of winning.