The Turkish Cypriot Legislative Election of April 2009: Towards the ‘Last Roll of the Dice’ in the Cyprus Conflict?

Abstract

On 19 April 2009, the Turkish Cypriots voted for a new legislature. The election outcome is important in understanding political trends in northern Cyprus before the April 2010 Presidential election, which will be significant for the current peace negotiations. The latter are considered by many observers as the last roll of the dice in terms of attempts to resolve the Cyprus conflict. The comeback of the old guard UBP is considered as the normalisation of politics in northern Cyprus. Although the UBP claims that it supports the ongoing peace negotiations, its historical baggage reveals just the opposite.