Government Change in Northern Cyprus

On Sunday, 19 April, the people of Northern Cyprus went to the polls in general elections. According to the Ntvmsnbc website, the National Unity Party (UBP) has won a majority in parliament, that is, 26 out of 50 seats.

The UBP, led by Derviş Eroğlu, has received 44 percent of the vote, while the ruling Republican Turkish Party (CTP) received 29.1 percent, thus only winning 15 seats.

Parties who pass the 5 percent threshold will be represented in parliament, thus also the Democractic Party (DP), which won 10.73 percent.

Also passing the threshold were the Socialist Democracy Party (TDP), which received 6.8 percent, and the Freedom and Reform Party (ÖRP) with 6.3 percent. The Party for Politics for the People (HİS) received 0.5 percent.

Voter turnout was high, with over 81 percent of registered voters casting their vote.

Few female candidates

Seven parties had entered the elections with 345 candidates, and there were eight further independent candidates. 55 of the candidates were women.

The CTP had 7 female candidates, the UBP 3, while the TDP, BKP and HİS had ten women candidates each. The ÖRP had 8 female candidates.

Reactions

UBP leader Eroğlu has said that his party will look for an agreement with Southern Cyprus that will “protect rights that have been gained.”

“As negotiations are continuing, we also support the continuation of negotiations by our President, Mehmet Ali Talat. We will discuss the Cyprus policies in detail with the motherland Turkey and act in unity and togetherness to further the negotiation process.”

President Talat, formerly of the CTP, said, “What is important is how the government formed looks at the Cyprus question. If the government supports our approach, there will not be a problem, but if it does not, there will be clashes of authority.”

Former President Rauf Denktaş said, “Let us see what the new government is like. Let us see what the honourable President says and how they get on together. If we continue with ‘one state, one people, one this and one that,’ then we will face difficulties.”

President Talat supports a federal solution to the Cyprus question, with the Greeks and the Turks perhaps even sharing sovereignty.

In Turkey, Prof. Dr. Ahmet İnsel from Galatasaray University spoke to NTV, saying that CTP voters had expressed their disappointment in economic policies of the government in the polls. He added that the UBP government may lead to a slowing down of negotiations.

CTP's dramatic loss

In the 2003 general elections, the CTP, which Talat used to head, gained 35.18 percent. In early elections called in 2005, they won 44.5 percent.

In 2005, Talat won the presidential elections, which meant a great change for the northern part of Cyprus. Rauf Denktaş had been president since the foundation of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983. Talat’s current term ends in 2010. (EÜ/AG)