Cyprus Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Rf public of Cyprus

Type: republic; a disaggregation of the two ethnic communities inhabiting the island began after the outbreak of communal strife in 1963; this separation was further solidified following the Turkish invasion of the island in July 1974, which gave the Turkish Cypriots de facto control over the northern 37 percent of the republic; Greek Cypriots control the only internationally recognized government; on 15 November 1983 Turkish Cypriot “President” Rauf Denktash declared independence and the formation of a “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,” w hich has been recognized only by Turkey; both sides publicly call for the resolution of inter-communal differences and creation of a new federal system of government

Capital: Nicosia

Political subdivisions: 6 administrative districts

Legal system: based on common law, with civil law modifications; negotiations to create the basis for a new or revised constitution to govern the island and relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been held intermittently

National holiday Independence Day, 1 October

Branches: currently the Government of Cyprus has effective authority over only the Greek Cypriot community; headed by President of the Republic and comprising Council of Ministers, House of Representatives, and Supreme Court; Turkish Cypriots declared their own “constitution” and governing bodies within the “Turkish Federated State of Cyprus” in 1975; “state” renamed “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” in 1983; new “constitution” for the Turkish sector passed by referendum in May 1985

Government leaders: Spyros KYPR1ANOU, President (since 1977); Turkish Sector— Rauf DENKTASH, “President” (since 1975)

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections officially every five years (last presidential election held in February 1983); parliamentary elections held in December 1985; Turkish sector “presidential elections last held in June 1985; “assembly” elections held in June 1985

Political purties and leaders. Greek Cypriot—Progressive Party of the Working People (AKEL; Communist Party), Ezekias Papaioannou; Democratic Rally (DESY), Glafkos derides; Democratic Party (DEKO), Spyros Kypnanou; United Democratic Union of the Center (EDEK), Vassos Lyssarides; Turkish sector—National Unity Party (NUP), Dervis Eroglu; Communal Liberation Party (CLP), Ismail Bozkurt; Republican Turkish Party (RTP), Ozker Ozgur; New Birth Party (NBP), Ay tae Besheshler

Voting strength: in the 1983 presidential election, incumbent Spyros Kyprianou retained his position by winning 56% of the vote; in the 1981 parliamentary election, the pro-Western Democratic Rally received 19 of the 56 seats; Kyprianou’s center-right Democratic Party won 16 seats; Communist AKEL secured 15 seats, and socialist EDEK won six seats; in 1985 “presidential” elections in the Turkish Cypriot sector, Rauf Denktash won with 70 percent of the vote; in the 1985 “assembly” elections the conservative National Unity Party won 24 of 50 seats; the Communist Republican Turkish Party received 12 seats; center-right Communal Liberation Party secured 10 seats; and the rightwing New Birth Party received 4 seats

Communists: about 12,000

Other political or pressure groups: United Democratic Youth Organization (EDON; Communist controlled); Union of Cyprus Farmers (EKA; Communist controlled); Cyprus Farmers Union (PEK; pro-West); Pan-Cyprian Labor Federation (PEO; Communist controlled); Confederation of Cypriot Workers (SEK; pro-West); Federation of Turkish Cypriot Labor Unions (Turk Sen); Confederation of Revolutionary Labor Unions (Dev Is)

Member of: Commonwealth, Council of Europe, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,

ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO; Turkish Federated State of Cyprus O1C (observer)

NOTE: The information regarding Cyprus on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Cyprus 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Cyprus 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.