LEFKOSHA (CIHAN) - The Turkish Cyprus parliament rejected an early election resolution of a ruling partner party on Monday.
The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) Republican General Assembly voted against the resolution of the ruling Republican Turk Party (CTP) to go to an early election.
The parliament law and political affairs committee had already rejected the same resolution.
The parliament general assembly chaired by speaker Fatma Ekenoglu discussed the report of the parliament law and political affairs. A total of 24 members of the general assembly voted for ratification while 22 voted against ratification of the report of parliament law and political affairs committee.
Thus, the rejection of the early election resolution was ratified.
The Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), Mehmet Ali Talat said on Saturday that there was no other alternative to his government's difficulties but to hold early elections.
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.