Takeover of TRNC’s main political party complete
PM Ünal Üstel elected as unopposed new chairman of National Unity Party
ÜNAL Üstel has become the leader of the National Unity Party (UBP) after he was the sole leadership candidate at an “emergency” UBP general assembly held at the Near East University Atatürk Cultural Centre in Lefkoşa last Sunday.
Mr Üstel, already PM in the three-party coalition government led by the UBP, added the party’s chairmanship under his belt following the resignation of Faiz Sucuoğlu.
Dr Sucuoğlu became the UBP leader last November following a vote of thousands of party members after the resignation of Ersan Saner, who, like Mr Üstel, had been appointed unopposed as UBP leader following an aborted UBP leadership campaign in November 2020, when Dr Sucuoğlu was poised to win.
In the first round of the 2020 UBP leadership race Dr Sucuoğlu finished top with nearly 40 per cent of the vote, while Mr Üstel was last among the five candidates with less than nine per cent.
In the November 2021 UBP leadership contest Dr Sucuoğlu won without the need for a runoff, while Mr Üstel was not even a candidate.
After leading the UBP to a general election victory in January this year, Dr Sucuoğlu was immediately plunged into turmoil with short-lived governments and infighting that eventually led to President Ersin Tatar inviting Mr Üstel to form a new government in May.
However Dr Sucuoğlu remained as UBP leader but earlier this month decided to step
down, saying that the “dual-headed” leadership of the party had become unworkable.
Speaking at the UBP general assembly last Sunday Mr Üstel said: “My wife and I will walk along this path with my colleagues to be worthy of you, our valuable members.”
Mr Üstel also said that he will act in “coordination” with President Ersin Tatar, himself a former UBP leader and prime minister. The two men were greeted with applause when they entered the conference hall.
Mr Tatar, referring to his policy of a solution in Cyprus
based on two states, said it is “important for the new national policy to be embraced, adopted and rooted” adding that “Turkish Cypriots should be united and have one voice”.
He also expressed his gratitude to Dr Sucuoğlu and wished him a “speedy recovery” following his involvement in a road accident the previous weekend. The President also wished Mr Üstel and his team success.
After being declared as the new UBP chairman, Mr Üstel took to the stage with his wife Zerrin before they posed for a “family photo” with UBP members.