A group of 78 Turkish Cypriots have been refused the chance to vote in the Republic of Cyprus parliamentary elections on May 21st because they live in the occupied northern part of Cyprus.
The group making the request asked two months ago to exercise their right to elect and be elected in separate electoral lists, as provided in the 1960 Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus.
However, the Interior Minister Andreas Christou refused the request, saying that as things stand the communal right of the members of the Turkish Cypriot community to elect and be elected can only be exercised in the framework of an overall solution of the Cyprus problem.
Christou said that according to the Constitution of 1960, the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities of the Republic of Cyprus exercise separately their right to elect and be elected.
“Unfortunately, Turkish Cypriots cannot exercise this right because circumstances have led to the separation of the Turkish Cypriot community”, he said.
Turkish Cypriots who reside in the government controlled areas (around 1,000) are allowed to vote, following an amendment to the 1960 Constitution early this year.
“The amendment gives the right to the Turkish Cypriots, who live in the government controlled areas and who have been isolated due to circumstances, to vote now together with the Greek Cypriot community for the 56 seats at the Parliament”, Christou said.
In statements after the meeting, former president of the Turkish Cypriot chamber of commerce, Ali Erel, said that the 78 Turkish Cypriots aim to start a new process of rapprochement, to bring the two communities together and to make the Republic of Cyprus a “bicommunal machinery and decision making mechanism for the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot community as two partners, as it was established in the 1960 Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus”.
Erel said that Turkish Cypriots seeking seats both in the south and the north “is not controversial, because the Annan plan was talking about two constitutional states, one in the north, one in the south, and an umbrella state which is called the Republic of Cyprus”.
“The Annan plan (a UN proposed solution plan) is not valid, but the Republic of Cyprus was established as a bicommunal state, which is not bicommunal now in real life, it is monocommunal. What we are aiming is to have a bicommunal state, a state in the north, a state in the south, as it is well said in the Annan plan”, he added.
The Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960 by the Zurich-London Agreements. The Constitution provided for 50 seats at the House of Representatives, 35 Greek Cypriots and 15 Turkish Cypriots.
Following intercommunal violence in December 1963, the 15 Turkish Cypriot representatives withdrew from the House and their seats remain vacant to this day. In 1985 the Parliament decided to increase the number of representatives to 80, 56 Greek Cypriots and 24 Turkish Cypriots.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third.
