Government crisis as coalition partner pulls out of new government

TRNC Prime Minister and leader of the UBP Faiz Sucuoğlu, who resigned his government two weeks ago and formed a new government afterwards has been left stranded by his coalition partners after they withdrew from the new government on the grounds that the prime Minister refused to sign a document.

Coalition partners, chairman of the Rebirth Party (YDP) Erhan Arıklı and chairman of the Democrat Party (DP), Fikri Ataoğlu on Friday night both withdrew their support for the new government which was expected to receive a vote of confidence in the parliament on Saturday because Prime Minister, Faiz Sucuoğlu gave up signing the Action Plan prepared by the two parties due to pressure from his party.

Leader of the UBP Faiz Sucuoğlu, had resigned his government two weeks ago after President Tatar refused to back his demand to sack the Minister of Finance Sunat Atun from office on disciplinary grounds but the president instead accepted the prime minister’s resignation.

With the new development, an early election will be the most likely outcome if the parties in the parliament are unable to form a new government.

Meanwhile, Sucuoğlu, will still remain in power until a new government can be formed. Also, all actions regarding the economy and electricity prices remain suspended until a new government is formed.

Responding to the situation, Rebirth Party (YDP) Erhan Arıklı said, “After Prime Minister Faiz Sucuoğlu gave up at the last minute signing the 100-Day Action Plan, which was prepared by the DP and YDP together, and to which he himself made corrections and distributed to the Ministers, before the vote of confidence, as it is understood, the authorised representatives of the two parties convened last night and decided to give up on entering the Government… “ If the Honourable Prime Minister had dared to sign this action plan in front of the press this morning with the other party leaders, this Government would have received a vote of confidence right now. This Government could not be formed because the Prime Minister gave up signing this Action Plan under the pressure of his group…”

It was much needed. Government programmes are written with the thought that governments will continue for five years and are never implemented. Nobody questions that. Governments have a very short lifespan. We wanted to select the important ones from that programme and schedule them. Thus, we thought that we could both bind ourselves in front of the public and increase the motivation of our government…

“The UBP Group did not object to the content of the Action Plan, but to the fact that it was prepared and presented to them by its partners. According to them, “Junior Partners” cannot offer such a condition to the “Big Partner” who is in the position of an older brother. This explains the UBP mentality, that is, the UBP’s view of the Coalitions. To them, Junior Partners exist only to top up the numbers. Their sensitivity in the government does not matter at all. Junior Partners must make do with what the Major Partner gives.