Cyprus still suffers from the remnants of English colonial rule and plans to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee must be cancelled, former Diko vice president and presidential candidate Giorgos Kolokasides said on Wednesday.

The strongly worded statement by Kolokasides takes aim at a concert organised by the British bases to mark the queen’s jubilee and the friendship between Britain and Cyprus at Curium on June 2, which was announced earlier this month.

“The so-called friendship is at the very least debatable in light of the role of the Brits after the founding of the Republic and even until today,” Kolokasides wrote on his personal Facebook page.

He further stated that the celebratory concert is provocative and should be out of the question, adding that Queen Elizabeth is linked to the darkest moments of Cypriot history.

Kolokasides said that there has been no apology for England’s past role in Cyprus and that for the “friendship” between the two nations to be celebrated there must first be a tangible change in the UK’s policy towards Cyprus and its people.

Queen Elizabeth’s first and only visit to Cyprus took place in 1993 to attend a Commonwealth heads of state meeting. Whilst on a visit to Nicosia to receive the golden key to the city she was greeted with a rowdy protest. Demonstrators chanted “Go Home”.