LEFKOSHA (CIHAN) - Early elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) are scheduled to take place on September 26, 2004.
The KKTC Republic Assembly accepted the early election resolution of the ruling Republican Turk Party (CTP). The accepted resolution sets September 26 as the election date.
The Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat said on last Thursday in London that the best alternative would be to go to the polls to elect a new government in Turkish Cyprus if the government crisis persists.
The three main Turkish Cypriot political parties failed to reach a deal on last Wednesday on the formation of a three-party coalition government.
The 50-day long negotiations and consultations aimed at resolving the government crisis had not succeeded.
The coalition government made up of the Democrat Party (DP) and the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), which has become a minority government due to recent resignations, had carried out talks with the Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) to form a 3-party coalition and so avoid early elections.
BDH chairman Mustafa Akýncý, known for his strong pro-settlement rhetoric in relation to the Cyprus division, has campaigned fiercely for reunification with the Greek Cypriot side.
The coalition government of the DP and the CTP had fallen below the minimum total of parliamentary seats which it requires in order to maintain a stable government. The government needs at least 26 seats in the assembly in order to win a vote of confidence. Recently one CTP deputy resigned from his party, while previously two DP deputies had quit their party following a dispute with Serdar Denktas.
The CTP has 18 seats in the 50-seat General Assembly of Turkish Cyprus. The DP has 5 seats while the Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) also has 5 seats.
The opposition National Unity Party (UBP) has 18 seats while the three deputies who quit their parties now sit as independents.
The General elections held last December in Turkish Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey, had left the seats in the parliament evenly divided between parties for and against the U.N. Annan plan for the reunification of Cyprus.