Front Page Headlines
Dissolved and formed again
UBP (National Unity Party)-HP (People’s Party) government “officially” announced. While UBP approved decision unanimously, HP approved decision 40 to 20.
- Score low, perception of corruption high – Corruption Perception in North Cyprus report announced.
Time to talk is over, it’s time now to do work
UBP and HP party assemblies approved the coalition protocol on Tuesday night. Meetings, negotiations, and statements are over. Two parties will sign the government protocol at the Blue Hall in Parliament on Wednesday morning and then the new cabinet will be presented to Mustafa Akıncı.
- Turkish Cypriot state to be an observer – Erdoğan highlighted he is expecting support from the Turkic Council for the North to be given observer status.
UBP and HP agreed: 35th government [since 1983] ready
The official process commencing today. Ersin Tatar and Kudret Özersay, after holding three meetings, agreed on forming the 35th government.
- Corruption in the country at concerning levels – TRNC received 37 out of 100 in the Corruption Perception 2018 report. The North ranked 93rd together with countries like Gambia, Guyana, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, Mongolia and Panama.
Cabinet in his pocket
UBP leader Ersin Tatar, who was given the mandate to form a government, decided on his cabinet following the last meeting held on Tuesday. The list of cabinet members will be presented to Mustafa Akıncı on Wednesday.
All the best for the 41st government [since 1975]
Let us put aside our domestic disputes and work to solve the country’s problems at a time when the possibility of a heated conflict in Cyprus is on the rise.
- Compensation demand of 210,000 GBP – British couple shocked by the cracks in the home they purchased in South Cyprus two years ago sue Greek Cypriot administration.
- What exercise is this? – Israeli commandoes dropped at Andreas Papandreou airbase in Paphos with military planes.
- Four million Euro Hellim (Halloumi) scandal – A Hellim export scam similar to the one experienced in the TRNC has happened in the South.
There is another decision
The Attorney-general’s office is to appeal against one of the most honourable and proud rulings of our legal history, the cartoon/collage case. The Attorney-general wants the court ruling acquitting Şener Levent and Ali Osman Tabak of all charges to be reversed. According to information received, a case has been filed at the Supreme Court. All eyes have now turned to the Supreme Court.
- Turkey still mocking us – Head of the fisheries section at the Chamber of Agriculture Engineers Mirati Erdoğuş complains that seine fishing boats from Turkey are entering our territorial waters freely and without being subjected to controls.
Main News
UBP and HP agree to form coalition government
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs Postası, Kıbrıs, Havadis, Diyalog, Afrika
Governance & Power Sharing
OVERVIEW
After days of speculation and rumours, the National Unity (UBP) and the Peoples’ Party (HP) finally reached agreement on Tuesday to form a new coalition government.
Following the agreement reached by UBP leader Ersin Tatar and HP leader Kudret Özersay, the decision was put to the vote by the parties’ respective assemblies.
While UBP unanimously approved the agreement, the decision was approved within HP by a majority vote of 40 to 20.
The two parties will be signing a coalition protocol on Wednesday before Tatar presents his cabinet to President Akıncı for approval the same day.
Tatar told reporters on Tuesday said that signing the economic protocol with Turkey will be among the new government’s top priorities.
He also said that a hike on fuel prices will have to be made in order to ensure that the treasury does not lose 2 million Turkish Lira.
“Our colleagues wanted to leave us a little farewell present before leaving,” Tatar joked to reporters.
Özersay said on Tuesday that the decision to enter into a coalition with UBP had not been an easy one to make.
He said the decision had been taken with the awareness that the country was going through difficult times and that everyone needed to assume responsibility.
Commenting on a question regarding the opposition within his party to entering a coalition with UBP, Özersay said that the decision had been taken democratically after careful elaboration and open discussion.
He said that the views and concerns expressed by the opposition within the party were extremely important.
Corruption in the country at concerning levels
Yenidüzen, Kıbrıs
Economy
OVERVIEW
Academic Sertaç Sonan shared the results of the Corruption Perceptions in North Cyprus 2018 report prepared jointly with academic Ömer Gökçekuş at a press conference on Tuesday. The report, prepared as a result of the business community’s response to questionnaires and feedback provided during workshops, reveals that the North received 37 points out of 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean, ranking it 93rd, on the Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2018, sharing the spot with countries like Gambia, Guyana, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, Mongolia and Panama.
Sonan stated that the North is not listed among the other countries due to its political status.
He said that the North saw a three-point decrease compared to last year’s report, which resulted in a 12-position drop in the global rankings. The South’s score, on the other hand, was 59 out of 100, going up by three points compared to 2017, and currently ranking it in 38th place out of 180 countries and territories.
Sonan emphasized that the North is far behind the EU member state average of 63 points. With its 37 points, the North is also far behind the global average of 43 points among 180 countries listed by Transparency International.