No Confidence Motion Tabled Against Northern Cyprus Government Not Accepted

NICOSIA (CÝHAN) - The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) Assembly on Saturday rejected a no confidence motion in the coalition government tabled by the opposition National Unity Party (UBP).
In the no confidence motion presented by the UBP against the coalition government made up of the Democrat Party (DP) and the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), 25 deputies said 'yes' to the motion, while 25 deputies said 'no'. Therefore, following the drawn vote, the motion was not accepted.
Yesterday, KKTC Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat had said that the necessary steps would be taken to resolve the problems of the KKTC Government, and that the KKTC Government could not continue in its current state whatever the outcome of the no confidence motion. Also on Friday, the KKTC Council of Ministers had convened and agreed that, if the governmental difficulties were not resolved, then early elections would be held in November.
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 Northern 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.