Independence:
16 August 1960 (from UK); note - Turkish Cypriots proclaimed
self-rule on 13 February 1975 and independence in 1983, but these
proclamations are only recognized by Turkey
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 October (1960); note - Turkish Cypriots
celebrate 15 November (1983) as Independence Day
Constitution:
16 August 1960; from December 1963, the Turkish Cypriots no longer
participated in the government; negotiations to create the basis for
a new or revised constitution to govern the island and for better
relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held
intermittently since the mid-1960s; in 1975, following the 1974
Turkish intervention, Turkish Cypriots created their own
constitution and governing bodies within the "Turkish Federated
State of Cyprus," which became the "Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus" when the Turkish Cypriots declared their independence in
1983; a new constitution for the "TRNC" passed by referendum on 5
May 1985, although the "TRNC" remains unrecognized by any country
other than Turkey
Legal system:
based on common law, with civil law modifications; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
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 - 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 February 2008)
election results: Tassos PAPADOPOULOS elected president; percent of
vote - Tassos PAPADOPOULOS 51.5%, Glafkos KLIRIDIS 38.8%, Alekos
MARKIDIS 6.6%
note: Mehmet Ali TALAT became "president" of the "TRNC", 24 April
2005, after "presidential" elections on 17 April 2005; results -
Mehmet Ali TALAT 55.6%, Dervis EROGLU 22.7%; Ferdi Sabit SOYER is
"TRNC prime minister" and heads the Council of Ministers (cabinet)
in coalition with "Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister"
Turgay AVCI
Legislative branch:
unicameral - area under government control: 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); area administered by Turkish Cypriots:
Assembly of the Republic or Cumhuriyet Meclisi (50 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: area under government control: last held 21 May 2006
(next to be held 2011); area administered by Turkish Cypriots: last
held 14 December 2003 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: area under government control: House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - AKEL 31.13%, DISY
30.34%, DIKO 17.92%, KISOS 6.51%, EDEK 8.91%, EURO.KO 5.75%, Greens
1.95%; seats by party - AKEL (Communist) 18, DISY 18, DIKO 11, KISOS
4, EDEK 4, EURO.KO 4, Greens 1; area administered by Turkish
Cypriots: Assembly of the Republic - percent of vote by party - CTP
35.8%, UBP 32.3%, Peace and Democratic Movement 13.4%, DP 12.3%;
seats by party - CTP 19, UBP 18, Peace and Democratic Movement 6, DP
7; note - "TRNC" seats by party as of September 2006 - CTP 25, OP 3,
UBP 13, DP 6, BDH 1, independents 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed jointly by the president and
vice president)
note: there is also a Supreme Court in the area administered by
Turkish Cyriots
Political parties and leaders:
area under government control: Democratic Party or DIKO [Marios
KAROYIAN]; Democratic Rally or DISY [Nikos ANASTASIADHIS]; European
Democracy or EURO.DI [Prodromos PRODROMOU] (evolved from For Europe
which merged with New Horizons); European Party or EURO.KO [Demetris
SYLLOURIS]; Fighting Democratic Movement or ADIK [Dinos
MIKHAILIDIS]; Green Party of Cyprus [George PERDIKIS]; Movement for
Social Democrats or EDEK [Yannakis OMIROU]; Political Movement of
Hunters [Michalis PAFITANIS]; Progressive Party of the Working
People or AKEL (Communist Party) [Dimitrios CHRISTOFIAS]; United
Democrats or EDI [Michalis PAPAPETROU]; area administered by Turkish
Cypriots: Communal Liberation Party or TKP [Huseyin ANGOLEMLI];
Cyprus Socialist Party or KSP [Kazim ONGEN]; Democratic Party or DP
[Serder DENKTASH]; Freedom and Reform Party or OP [Turgay AVCI];
National Unity Party or UBP [Tahsin ERTUGRULOGLU]; Nationalist
Justice Party or MAP [Ata TEPE]; New Party or YP [Huseyin TURAN];
Our Party or BP [Okyay SADIKOGLU]; Patriotic Unity Movement or YBH
[Oguz OZEN]; Peace and Democratic Movement or BDH [Mustafa AKINCI];
Renewal Progress Party or YAP [Ertugrul HASIPOGLU]; Republican
Turkish Party or CTP [Ferdi Sabit SOYER]; United Cyprus Party or BKP
[Isset IZCAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Cypriot Workers or SEK (pro-West); Confederation
of Revolutionary Labor Unions or Dev-Is; Federation of Turkish
Cypriot Labor Unions or Turk-Sen; Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation or
PEO (Communist controlled)