CYPRUSTODAY
Among five other independents in the last Parliament, former ministers Hasan Taçoy, Özdemir Berova, Önder Sennaroğlu and Menteş Gündüz were all re-elected for UBP, but Hakan Dinçyürek failed to secure his seat under the UBP banner.
None of the nine people who stood as independents on Sunday were elected.
Among casualties as the votes were counted were some of the biggest names in the TRNC political arena: outgoing foreign minister Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu and Cabinet colleague for transport and public works Kemal Dürüst topping the list. Also losing their seats were former ministers Salih İzbul, Ahmet Kaşif and Birikim Özgür, as well as MPs Mehmet Çağlar and Hüseyin Erçal.
Other familiar faces leaving parliament after the election, having decided not to stand, are former CTP leader Özkan Yorgancıoğlu and parliamentary Speaker Sibel Siber, plus former ministers and deputies Ahmet Gülle, Mustafa Arabacıoğlu, Abbas Sınay, Ömer Kalyoncu, Ergün Serdaroğlu, Ferdi Sabit Soyer, Arif Albayrak, Hüseyin Avkıran Alanlı, Hamit Bakırcı and Erdal Özcenk.
Meanwhile, the Assembly will welcome 20 new MPs, among them six women — who more than double the number of females to nine from the last parliament’s four: from Lefkoşa, newcomers Sıla Usar Incirli (CTP) and Gülşah Manavoğlu (HP) join sitting MP Doğuş Derya (CTP), while Girne MPs Fazilet Özdenefe (CTP) and İzlem Gürçağ Altuğra (UBP) are joined by HP’s Jale Refik Rogers. Other new female entrants are former president Derviş Eroğlu’s daughter, Resmiye Canaltay (UBP), and HP’s Ayşegül Baybars in Gazimağusa, and UBP’s Yasemin Öztürk in İskele.
The new wave comes after a contest, held for the first time under new rules requiring parties to field a minimum of 30 per cent female candidates, which saw 115 women stand for election out of 388 candidates, compared with just 47 out of 257 candidates at the last parliamentary poll in 2013.
As nearly 48 hours of drama unfolded before final results were confirmed by the Supreme Election Board (YSK) on Tuesday, a huge crowd of UBP supporters gathered outside UBP headquarters on Sunday and there were scenes of jubilation even as hopes of coming to power alone were dashed.
Former president and long-term party leader Derviş Eroğlu was mobbed as he arrived for the victory celebrations and there was a thunderous welcome, too, for party leader Hüseyin Özgürgün, arriving with his new wife İnci Pars, who announced their marriage on social media, less than a fortnight after the former PM’s divorce had been formalised.
Election night high spirits quickly died at CTP headquarters, where leader Tufan Erhürman put a brave face on the party’s reverse of fortunes, saying it still remained the country’s second party and would continue its fight, but rejecting an early suggestion of a return to coalition with UBP.
There was a subdued atmosphere at UBP CTP HP TDP DP YDP (TKP-YG+BKP) MDP Independents Totalvotescast Registeredvoters Turnout both DP and TDP, with a grim-faced TDP leader Cemal Özyiğit blasting the 33 per cent of voters who had not gone to the polls.
DP leader and former deputy premier Serdar Denktaş congratulated UBP and said his party’s showing represented a “return to its essence” for DP. He said the party did not “deserve” its result and was now looking to the future.
There was huge excitement at “prochange” HP’s headquarters for its first general election count — closed to the press — but the mood turned to gloom as early results revealed the UBP victory. Leader Kudret Özersay refused to speak to reporters straight away, saying he would wait for “more concrete figures” to make an evaluation.
YDP leader Erhan Arıklı made a statement thanking all who had backed his party, allowing it to enter Parliament.