CALLS FOR UNITY IN CRUNCH VOTE
Tatar vs Akıncı in presidential election run-off
CALLS have been made for “unity” as Ersin Tatar and Mustafa Akıncı go head to head in tomorrow’s presidential election run-off following a bitter campaign.
The field of candidates was narrowed from 11 to just two last Sunday after no-one was able to gain more than 50 per cent of the votes.
Mr Tatar topped the polls with 32.34 per cent of the votes cast, while Mr Akıncı came second on 29.8 per cent.
However the poll was marred by the lowest ever turnout for a TRNC presidential election. Roughly 116,000 of the 199,000 eligible voters went to the ballot box, a turnout of just 58.29 per cent.
Concern was also raised over the high number of spoiled ballot papers – 5,051, or more than four per cent of all votes cast and greater than the 4,627 votes received by Serdar Denktaş, who finished in sixth place.
Stamping the box under the preferred candidate more than once is believed to be the most common reason for votes being declared invalid.
Ahead of tomorrow’s crunch vote, the prominent Beşparmak think tank, made up of former ministers, lawyers, economists, chief judges and academics, issued a statement on Thursday.
“While wishing both candidates success . . . we call upon all sides to refrain from actions that further division. . . and for a turnout in the election by the public to truly reflect their will.”
Referring to the “collapse of negotiations for a solution based on a federal framework in Crans Montana in 2017” the group expressed its belief on the need to “form institutional relations between the two sides, rather than conflict”.
“However, the Greek Cypriot side has a continuing aspiration for Hellenism, and is using its population, economic power and its internationally recognised advantages in trying to assert supremacy over the Turkish Cypriot side.
“On the other hand, many federalist experts are stating that the necessary conditions are absent to form a federation on the island of Cyprus, because there is a need for mutual needs and dependency, mutual joint interests, mutual trust and respect, a culture of being able to take joint decisions and, most importantly, a balance of power between both federal partners.” The statement drew attention to the need of being able to explore “two-state or alternative solution models” based on the will of the Turkish Cypriot people by using their right to self-determination.
The Beşparmak statement also drew attention to the fact that there have been “many independent states formed out of federations” bringing the number of UN member states to 193. “We invite all our people to support a two-state solution when going to the ballot box,” the statement said. The Economic Organisations Platform, made up of the Cyprus Turkish chambers of commerce and industry, and tourism, hotel and contractor bosses, said in a statement this week: “The identity of the Turkish Cypriots and relations with Turkey are important. This balance must be observed by every politician. . . Our expectation
from Ersin Tatar and Mustafa Akıncı . . . is to face the public using a language that unites the community in their election propaganda, and not divides them.”
The statement added: “It is time to end the polarisation, to refrain from expressions that bring fighting, and to instead talk about what is intended to be done in the new period.”
Following last Sunday’s results, the Rebirth Party (YDP) and Democrat Party (DP) announced they would be backing Mr Tatar, while the Republican Turkish Party (CTP) and Social Democratic Party (TDP) said they will lend their support to incumbent Mr Akıncı.
The People’s Party, however, said they would let their supporters vote for “whoever they prefer”.
CTP leader Tufan Erhürman, who finished third in Sunday’s first round election on 21.71 per cent, also called for an “end to polarisation” in the country.
Mr Tatar, speaking during a TV debate on Wednesday, said that, if elected, he would act as a president who would “be able to embrace all sections of the community and who has the best relations with Turkey, the [Turkish Cypriot] diaspora and with people who have different beliefs I see as richness”.
Meanwhile Serdar Denktaş, the founder of the Democrat Party, announced on Wednesday that he had resigned from the party, claiming that the DP had not acted with “honour”.
However his own son, Rauf, expressed “full support” for Mr Tatar.
Issuing a written statement, Denktaş junior said there is a need to walk “hand in hand with Turkey” and to “normalise relations between Turkey and the TRNC”.
“It is our duty to rebuild the spirit of brotherhood in our country and to end the tension,” Denktaş junior said.
“We are the representatives of Turkishness in Cyprus that we have inherited from my grandfather, the founder [of the TRNC], Rauf Denktaş.”