Ustel rejects fraud claims over UBP primary and tells objectors to leave the party

Nicosia, Cyprus. Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ Unal Ustel said on Tuesday that the UBP’s primary election, held on Saturday, was not fraudulent, and he invited anyone who disagrees to leave the party. The vote selected the party’s candidates for the legislative elections in December.

Turnout and conduct of the vote

Ustel described the primary as one of the most participatory, organised and modern the party has held. According to him, 8,929 members voted, and the process passed without delays and in a secure way.

Response to the objections

Seventeen people filed objections to the results. Ustel said he understood the disappointment of those who were not elected, noting that they had worked hard and entered the contest with expectations. He added that members had nonetheless made their choice.

He said he had listened to the objections, examined the matters from every angle, carried out the necessary investigations and then formed his own assessment. His conclusion was that the vote was the most transparent, open and orderly in the party’s history. He also said nobody should expect a reversal of the members’ decision, since they had given up a whole day and time with their families to vote.

In his words, “the will of our members is binding on all of us”, whether or not the outcome is the one people wanted.

Candidacy withdrawals

Several prominent candidates withdrew from the race. They included Hakan Dincyurek, who also stepped down as ‘health minister’, and Resmiye Canaltay, the daughter of former Turkish Cypriot leader Dervish Eroglu. Ustel said that standing for election or pulling out is a personal decision.

Warning to critics

Ustel said it was absolutely unacceptable to slander one’s own party, cast a shadow over the election or insult the party because of dissatisfaction with the result or with a place on the list. He urged the objectors to look at themselves.

He added that “we cannot share the same path with those who insult the party without questioning their own actions or considering the reasons behind our members’ choices.”