Turkish Cypriots Vote in Snap Elections
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Voters in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) went to the polls on Sunday to choose their parliamentary deputies.
The voting started at 08.00 am local time (0500GMT) and will continue till 06.00 pm local time (1500GMT).
Votes will be cast in 719 ballot boxes across the country, in the 14th election since 1976.
Three-hundred-and-seventy-nine candidates from eight parties and nine independent candidates are competing for 50 seats in the parliament, Anadolu Agency reported.
The eight parties running in the election are the National Unity Party (UBP), the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), the Communal Democracy Party (TDP), the Democrat Party (DP), the Peoples' Party (HP), the Communal Liberation Party-New Forces (TKP-YG), the Nationalist Democracy Party (MDP) and the Renaissance Party (YDP).
An election threshold of five percent is in effect in the country where there are 190,551 electorates.
The capital Lefkosa is represented by 16 deputies -- the highest number. Gazimagusa is represented by 13 deputies, Girne by 10, Iskele by five, Guzelyurt by four and Lefke by two deputies.
Vote count will begin at 6.00 pm local time (1500GMT). No television channel is allowed to broadcast results till 7.00 pm local time (1600GMT).
Since the last general elections held in Jan. 2013, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has experienced three coalition governments led by three different prime ministers.
The current UBP-DP coalition government is headed by Prime Minister Huseyin Ozgurgun.
In November, by a vote of 38-2, the parliament passed a motion calling early elections. Under the motion, general elections originally planned for July 2018 were moved up seven months to Jan. 7.
