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The resignation of the Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou was perceived as confirmation of the existence of a deep political crisis, in which Cyprus entered after the blast at the naval base near Limassol that caused the death of 13 people. Ministers submit their resignations one after the other, and thousands of "discontented" on the streets want the president to resign.

The crisis is serious and affects Dimitris Christofias, who responds to the attacks by taking a protective stance and saying that he did not know how dangerous the containers with the explosives from Iran were. However, the yesterday Minister of Foreign Affairs made a statement which clearly accused the Cypriot President for trying to make a scapegoat of him. After testifying before the parliamentary defence committee, Markos Kyprianou said he asked the President Christofias to release him from his duties not because he feels guilt, but by moral motives. At the same time, he said that a game for the induction of impressions, scapegoating and abuse of public opinion is currently being played in Cyprus.

Markos Kyprianou said "no to the game of making impressions, which was played over the past days and was an attempt not to identify the real culprits, but to find scapegoats." He added that he refuses to support such games and to help those willing to defuse their political opponents rather than the real culprits. Shocked by the tragedy, the "errors and omissions", he assures he would help to clarify the case and called on everyone to be responsible.

According to some sources, President Christofias will try to quench the political tension by reshuffling the government. The resignation of the Foreign Minister Kyprianou, an important person in the party DIKO and son of its founder Spyros Kyprianou, means that its representatives in the office will sharpen their position against the president. The first response of the party to the resignation of the Minister, aimed clearly at Dimitris Christofias, was the wish "Markos Kyprianou conducts to serve as an example." The same sources say that the party is not willing to participate in the government together with AKEL and requires the president to form a government with broad social support. Otherwise, it would not participate in the reshuffling of the today’s cabinet.

Yesterday, the president officially informed the Cypriot National Council on the explosion at the naval base and the problems it caused in the power supply and the economy, and on the fact that the electricity company covered the electricity needs by importing electricity from a private company located in the occupied part of the island. At least two political leaders, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Rally Party, Nikos Anastasiadis and the leader of EDEK and the parliamentary head Yannakis Omirou have questioned the objectivity in investigating the causes and responsibilities for the tragedy.

The committee on defence at the Cyprus Parliament considered the deadly blast and all those involved in the case testified. Relatives of the victims and "discontented" citizens assembled in front of the Parliament and booed the ministers. The only government official, who received applause was the chief inspector Hristala Yorkadzi who had stated repeatedly in her reports the danger of the load and the inaction of those responsible and called for taking measures. The committee held the meeting behind closed doors in order to ensure the committee’s impartiality. However, a six-member commission composed of relatives of the victims, including the son of the deceased captain Andreas Ioannidis were allowed to follow the work of the committee.

This night could be critical because of fears of a mass confrontation caused by the organization of two separate rallies in Nicosia. The Presidency organizes the annual event in honour and memory of those killed during the coup and the invasion in 1974. For their part, the "discontented" announced an all-Cypriot rally in front of the building. Many supporters of the President Christofias from the local organizations of his party AKEL are expected to attend the first event and the second rally is expected to involve many "discontented", requesting him to resign.

The police have taken draconian security measures and after the discussion in the National Council, many political leaders called the "discontented" to change the place of their rally. Meanwhile, some MPs and the former Foreign Minister George Lillikas urged President Christofias to cancel the event at the Presidency.

Earlier today, Dimitris Christofias determined the proposal as "irrational" and called the "discontented" citizens to change their place of protest. "Today, the Presidency will honour and commemorate the victims of the explosion at the base to Mari," he said. In response to a journalist's question about the protests in front of the Presidency and the citizens’ request the government to resign, Dimitris Christofias said, "those responsible for the tragedy will be found, but it is not possible to surrender the country to anarchism. If we approve the organization of people's courts it would mean that we surrender to anarchy and the state is unable to function." He confirmed his belief that those responsible will have to take their responsibility, but "this will happen to the justice. We can all require resignations but we hear things that do not correspond to our political culture. I am patient and I will listen to them stoically but this would not mean that I would approve them," said the Cypriot President.