Administrative divisions:
6 districts; Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia,
Paphos; note - Turkish Cypriot area's administrative divisions
include Kyrenia, all but a small part of Famagusta, and small parts
of Lefkosa (Nicosia) and Larnaca
Independence:
16 August 1960 (from UK); note - Turkish Cypriot area proclaimed
self-rule on 13 February 1975
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriot area
celebrates 15 November (1983) as Independence Day
Constitution:
16 August 1960; negotiations to create the basis for a new or
revised constitution to govern the island and to better relations
between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently; in
1975 Turkish Cypriots created their own constitution and governing
bodies within the "Turkish Federated State of Cyprus," which was
renamed the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" in 1983; a new
constitution for the Turkish Cypriot area passed by referendum on 5
May 1985
Legal system:
based on common law, with civil law modifications
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Tassos PAPADOPOULOS (since 1 March 2003);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government; post of vice president is currently vacant; under the
1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot
head of government: President Tassos PAPADOPOULOS (since 1 March
2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government; post of vice president is currently vacant; under the
1960 constitution, the post is reserved for a Turkish Cypriot
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed jointly by the president and
vice president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 16 February 2003 (next to be held NA February
2008)
note: Rauf R. DENKTASH has been "president" of the Turkish Cypriot
area since 13 February 1975 ("president" elected by popular vote for
a five-year term); elections last held 15 April 2000 (next to be
held NA April 2005); results - Rauf R. DENKTASH reelected president
after the other contender withdrew; Dervis EROGLU has been "prime
minister" of the Turkish Cypriot area since 16 August 1996; there is
a Council of Ministers (cabinet) in the Turkish Cypriot area
election results: Tassos PAPADOPOULOS elected president; percent of
vote - Tassos PAPADOPOULOS 51.5%, Glafkos KLIRIDIS 38.8%, Alekos
MARKIDIS 6.6%
Legislative branch:
unicameral - Greek Cypriot area: House of Representatives or Vouli
Antiprosopon (80 seats; 56 assigned to the Greek Cypriots, 24 to
Turkish Cypriots; note - only those assigned to Greek Cypriots are
filled; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
terms); Turkish Cypriot area: Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet
Meclisi (50 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
election results: Greek Cypriot area: House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - AKEL 34.71%, DISY 34%, DIKO 14.84%, KISOS
6.51%, others 9.94%; seats by party - AKEL (Communist) 20, DISY 19,
DIKO 9, KISOS 4, others 4; Turkish Cypriot area: Assembly of the
Republic - percent of vote by party - UBP 40.3%, DP 22.6%, TKP
15.4%, CTP 13.4%, UDP 4.6%, YBH 2.5%, BP 1.2%; seats by party - UBP
24, DP 13, TKP 7, CTP 6
elections: Greek Cypriot area: last held 27 May 2001 (next to be
held NA May 2006); Turkish Cypriot area: last held 6 December 1998
(next to be held NA December 2003)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed jointly by the president and
vice president)
note: there is also a Supreme Court in the Turkish Cypriot area
Political parties and leaders:
Greek Cypriot area: Democratic Party or DIKO [Tassos PAPADOPOULOS];
Democratic Rally or DISY [Nikos ANASTASIADHIS]; Fighting Democratic
Movement or ADIK [Dinos MIKHAILIDIS]; Green Party of Cyprus [George
PERDIKIS]; New Horizons [Nikolaus KOUTSOU]; Restorative Party of the
Working People or AKEL (Communist Party) [Dimitrios CHRISTOFIAS];
Social Democrats Movement or KISOS (formerly United Democratic Union
of Cyprus or EDEK) [Yiannakis OMIROU]; United Democrats Movement or
EDE [George VASSILIOU]; Turkish Cypriot area: Communal Liberation
Party or TKP [Mustafa AKINCI]; Democratic Party or DP [Serder
DENKTASH]; National Birth Party or UDP [Enver EMIN]; National Unity
Party or UBP [Dervis EROGLU]; Our Party or BP [Okyay SADIKOGLU];
Patriotic Unity Movement or YBH [Izzet IZCAN]; Republican Turkish
Party or CTP [Mehmet ALI TALAT]