Post by cogload on Sept 20, 2020 19:31:25 GMT
There is a wikipedia page here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Northern_Cypriot_presidential_election
It basically looks like a run off between Akinci (incumbent) and Ersin Tatar - the current prime minister- (UBP). The latter is Erdogans "favoured candidate".
The contest has been postponed from earlier this year due to Covid, and has seen additional tasty issues such as water, the annihilation of the Turkish Lira, the general flashpoints of the Eastern Med and the continued obsession with building as many hotels without appropriate infrastructure come into play. Plus as usual the Turkish cypriot government is effectively bankrupt.
Taking these in turn; Covid and the collapse of the hotel industry this year has seen foreign exchange earnings fall through the floor. The airport at Ercan is effectively shut at present and the border crossings are highly regulated. Erdogan, to give the inhabitants a hint also decided to restrict the sailings of the Kyrenia boat - naughty Akinici - which brings in a ,lot of supplies from Turkey. The Famagusta to Latakia crossing hasn't restarted AFAIK - but that hasn't stopped Syrians or even the Lebanese making their own way across the med unofficially.
Water, ah yes. water. Now in a country which is getting hotter and drier you would have thought the first priority would be to conserve water and design infrastructure in order to save the conserved water. Alas no. Because Turkey built a pipeline and as a result there was water galore. Only one problem - the pipeline is now broken and the water has stopped. There is one main reservoir on the island and that runs out in 3 days time, and the pipeline won't be fixed until the week after, whoops. When the pipeline was proposed a few people argued it was the worst idea because a) the locals would spaff water in every direction and b) the north is not noted for urban design. Well, guess what a) occured and b is still an issue. But the local press is giving the prime minister much praise for flying to Turkey to look at the work and much praise has been lavished on the work Turkey is carrying out to reinstate the pipeline.
This underlines the fact that the government is now utterly utterly reliant on the Turkish government. Mind you the south hasn't helped matters by playing hardball over the greenline and then the US decided to lift the arms embargo on the Greek Cypriots (how many tanks lads?). Which has caused tensions to say the least; especially with a belligerent operator in Ankara threatening the Greek mainland. This is stirring up the Turkish nationalist vote; most of the actual Turkish Cyps live in Harringey these days - which Tatar is effectively milking.
Finally, the north is rapidly becoming a jerry builders paradise. Diogenes five fingers on the Bespamark range will be around half a finger if the rate of quarrying doesn't stop and the obsession with hotels, casinos and craply designed apartment blocks is proving a magnet for huge wedges of laundered cash from the usual sources. It is keeping people in jobs and to all those wishing to be the next President of the statelet that is the sole issue.
Akinici is the incumbent, a time served proper Turkish Cypriot who was mayor of the northern half of Lefkosa in 1974 after the split and is known for being pragmatic in his dealings with the Greek Cyps. He favours a federation if you ask him quietly, but has been pushed toward the 2 state by circumstances. Tatar is a die hard TC 2 stater with an English background. The GC's in the south with Covid, the bankruptcy of the north and water shortages are pushing every pressure point however it seems to be having the opposite effect to the one they may have intended - i.e it is making the population more belligerent. Tatar to win in he 2nd round is my guess.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Northern_Cypriot_presidential_election
It basically looks like a run off between Akinci (incumbent) and Ersin Tatar - the current prime minister- (UBP). The latter is Erdogans "favoured candidate".
The contest has been postponed from earlier this year due to Covid, and has seen additional tasty issues such as water, the annihilation of the Turkish Lira, the general flashpoints of the Eastern Med and the continued obsession with building as many hotels without appropriate infrastructure come into play. Plus as usual the Turkish cypriot government is effectively bankrupt.
Taking these in turn; Covid and the collapse of the hotel industry this year has seen foreign exchange earnings fall through the floor. The airport at Ercan is effectively shut at present and the border crossings are highly regulated. Erdogan, to give the inhabitants a hint also decided to restrict the sailings of the Kyrenia boat - naughty Akinici - which brings in a ,lot of supplies from Turkey. The Famagusta to Latakia crossing hasn't restarted AFAIK - but that hasn't stopped Syrians or even the Lebanese making their own way across the med unofficially.
Water, ah yes. water. Now in a country which is getting hotter and drier you would have thought the first priority would be to conserve water and design infrastructure in order to save the conserved water. Alas no. Because Turkey built a pipeline and as a result there was water galore. Only one problem - the pipeline is now broken and the water has stopped. There is one main reservoir on the island and that runs out in 3 days time, and the pipeline won't be fixed until the week after, whoops. When the pipeline was proposed a few people argued it was the worst idea because a) the locals would spaff water in every direction and b) the north is not noted for urban design. Well, guess what a) occured and b is still an issue. But the local press is giving the prime minister much praise for flying to Turkey to look at the work and much praise has been lavished on the work Turkey is carrying out to reinstate the pipeline.
This underlines the fact that the government is now utterly utterly reliant on the Turkish government. Mind you the south hasn't helped matters by playing hardball over the greenline and then the US decided to lift the arms embargo on the Greek Cypriots (how many tanks lads?). Which has caused tensions to say the least; especially with a belligerent operator in Ankara threatening the Greek mainland. This is stirring up the Turkish nationalist vote; most of the actual Turkish Cyps live in Harringey these days - which Tatar is effectively milking.
Finally, the north is rapidly becoming a jerry builders paradise. Diogenes five fingers on the Bespamark range will be around half a finger if the rate of quarrying doesn't stop and the obsession with hotels, casinos and craply designed apartment blocks is proving a magnet for huge wedges of laundered cash from the usual sources. It is keeping people in jobs and to all those wishing to be the next President of the statelet that is the sole issue.
Akinici is the incumbent, a time served proper Turkish Cypriot who was mayor of the northern half of Lefkosa in 1974 after the split and is known for being pragmatic in his dealings with the Greek Cyps. He favours a federation if you ask him quietly, but has been pushed toward the 2 state by circumstances. Tatar is a die hard TC 2 stater with an English background. The GC's in the south with Covid, the bankruptcy of the north and water shortages are pushing every pressure point however it seems to be having the opposite effect to the one they may have intended - i.e it is making the population more belligerent. Tatar to win in he 2nd round is my guess.
