Kikapu wrote:Poll: Nearly three in four Turkish Cypriots say Talat coalition has failed
By Simon Bahceli
National Unity Party favourite in April election
THE TURKISH Cypriot national Unity Party (UBP), led by former right-wing ‘Prime Minister’ Dervish Eroglu, is set to win the April 19 ‘parliamentary’ election in the north, according to the results of an opinion poll produced by market researcher KADEM.
“It looks like the UBP will win,” KADEM head Muharrem Faiz told the Cyprus Mail yesterday. Asked whether Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat’s incumbent Republican Turkish Party (CTP)/ Freedom and Reform Party (ORP) coalition had even the slightest probability of remaining in power Faiz said, “No chance”.
Turkish Cypriot ‘Prime Minister’ Ferdi Sabit Soyer last month called for early elections, citing a need greater ‘parliamentary’ support for constitutional changes that would pave the way for a raft of structural reforms. He also said holding the poll in April, rather than later in the year, would minimise its impact on ongoing negotiations to end the 35-year division of the island.
However, with recession biting hard in the north, and Ankara refusing to bail out the beleaguered administration, the timing of the election looks likely to do little to improve the CTP/ORP coalition’s chance of success.
“Seventy-one per cent of the electorate say they see the government as having failed for reasons ranging from the economy, the unfair and partisan distribution of government jobs, broken promises and failure to resolve the Cyprus problem,” Faiz said.
“Seventy per cent also stated in the poll that they have debts, and of that 70 per cent 27 per cent say they are facing legal proceedings over their failure to pay interest on debts,” Faiz added.
If the 71 year-old Eroglu, who headed ‘governments’ from 1985 to 89, and again from 1996 to 2004, win, it will herald a return to pre-CTP right-wing politics – something that could further hamper already-troubled efforts to reunite the Greek and Turkish Cypriot-controlled parts of the island.
Eroglu recently returned to politics after resigning as UBP leader in 2005, saying it was “time for younger blood”.
According to Faiz, 987 people were questioned in the poll.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail
Not sure why this made it to the news now but this poll was done about 6 months ago to stop Eroglu from winning UBP leadership. It was done for the benefit of UBP by the UBP. Usual polling standards were not applied.
It failed in it effort to stop eroglu getting in. With a slogan of 71 year old saying we need new blood.
UBP chances of getting in at this crucial time is a dream of the rejectionists, but have no doubt it will turn to a nightmare.
Not sure why this made it to the news now but this poll was done about 6 months ago to stop Eroglu from winning UBP leadership. It was done for the benefit of UBP by the UBP. Usula polling standards were not applied.
It failed in it effort to stop eroglu geting in. With a slogan of 71 year old saying we need new blood.
UBP chances of getting in at this crucial time is a dream of the rejectionists, but have no doubt it will turn to a nightmare.
