TRNC heads to the polls to determine new parliament

Voting got underway this morning at 8 am at 763 ballot boxes set up across the country’s six districts.  and will end at 6 pm.

A total of 203,792 people are eligible to vote.

Voting ends at 6 pm.

Media outlets will not be allowed to give out exit polls before 7 pm with initial results to be announced around 8 pm by the head of the High Electoral Council Narin Ferdi Şefik.

Through a system of split voting, voters can either vote for one party and their candidates or split their votes, choosing amongst candidates from different parties without having to support one single party.

Voters can vote by showing their official ID, passport or driving license.

400 candidates from eight parties as well as three independents are contesting for a seat in the 50 MP parliament.

According to the distribution of seats of the districts, voters will be electing 16 MPs from Lefkoşa, 13 MPs from Gazimağusa, 11 MPs from Girne, five from İskele, three from Güzelyurt and two from Lefke.

The seats are determined according to the population of the respective districts.

All parties are required to receive at least five per cent of the votes to pass the election threshold.

A party is required to win a simple majority of the seats in parliament (25+1) to set up a government on its own. Failure to do so will result in the creation of a coalition government.

According to an announcement by the Health Advisory Board voters who are close contacts of persons who have tested positive for Covid-19 will be able to cast their votes.

However, persons who have tested positive are not allowed to vote and will be subject to legal prosecution if they turn up at a voting station.

Officials at voting stations will be submitted a list of persons who have tested positive.

Voters on the other hand are not required to present a negative Covid-19 test result or the Adapass safe pass when voting.

Meanwhile, all schools and institutions of higher education will be closed on Monday, January 24 due to the fact that voting stations have been set up at schools across the country, the Ministry of National Education announced on Friday.