Citizens’ Alliance president Yiorgos Lillikas is bowing out of politics while his party has set in motion procedures to merge with Edek, the Cyprus News Agency reported on Thursday.

The decision to merge with election partner Edek was taken by the party’s supreme political senate on Wednesday night. There were three opposing votes to this decision.

The party said its goal is to unite the political forces that oppose a bizonal solution to the Cyprus problem and to deal with the challenges facing the country.

Lillikas, who served as commerce and foreign minister in the Tassos Papadopoulos government from 2003 to 2006, chose not to seek re-election to the House of Representatives in the May 30 elections.