Turk Cypriot administration calls early elections

THE TURKISH Cypriot ‘parliament’ yesterday voted to hold early general elections after resignations left the ruling pro-reunification coalition with an awkward minority in the legislature of the breakaway enclave.

Confident of its popularity as Turkish Cypriots start to see signs of an end to their international isolation, leader Mehmet Ali Talat’s Republican Turkish Party (CTP) had proposed fresh polls on September 26 – just nine months into its mandate.

Analysts say early elections could well strengthen Talat’s mandate.

The vote did not stipulate an election date. A CTP source said the timing would now be put to a parliamentary committee, which would propose a firm date to parliament.

An opposition party has called a no-confidence vote for today but it looks unlikely to topple Talat, who led Turkish Cypriot voters to endorse a UN peace plan that was scuppered by the south.
Talat currently heads a coalition with only 23 seats against the opposition’s total of 24 after three lawmakers resigned in political squabbling. They now sit as independents in the 50-seat legislature of the self-declared republic.

The CTP source said MPs had backed the call for fresh polls by 49 votes to one.
The current parliament was elected last December in polls that were widely seen as a rejection of the separatist policies of veteran Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

The CTP source said an anti-reunification party close to Denktash, the National Unity Party (UBP), had tabled a vote of no confidence in the government.

If successful it would bring down Talat’s coalition immediately. But this appeared unlikely as at least one party currently outside the coalition has said it would not back a no-confidence vote.
Talat is pushing to end Turkish Cypriots’ international isolation after they voted for the UN plan in an April referendum. Greek Cypriots voted against the plan, prompting widespread calls to bring the Turkish Cypriots in from the cold.

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