Nicosia, Cyprus. Unal Ustel on Tuesday criticised Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman over comments on a government decree that halted payments of the cost-of-living allowance without a legislative vote. Ustel said the decree was legal and issued under constitutional powers.
Dispute over decree and legislative process
Ustel said he had followed “with regret” what he called Erhurman’s “unfortunate statements” on Facebook regarding the decree enacted by the government, adding that the remarks were “incompatible with the seriousness of the state and constitutional norms”.
He said “state administration is not driven by day-to-day political concerns or populist rhetoric, but by seriousness, minimum respect between institutions, and, above all, the rule of law”.
Ustel said it was unacceptable for what he described as the highest office to try to create a perception of a “crisis of confidence” by sending messages to the public via social media without exhausting institutional channels of dialogue or using formal legal appeal mechanisms.
Criticism of communication and trust concerns
Ustel said Erhurman’s preference for Facebook over official state channels showed he had not yet overcome the political reflexes of a party leader and had not fully internalised the responsibilities of what he called the neutral and inclusive office of the presidency.
He objected to Erhurman’s description of the decree as a move that “shattered trust” and said the ruling coalition “bears a heavy and historic responsibility in the face of global economic challenges which have profoundly affected our country”.
Government justification and constitutional authority
Ustel said that, as ‘prime minister’, he is empowered by the ‘TRNC’s’ constitution to issue such decrees, and said the power exists “precisely to prevent interruptions in the functioning of the state in such urgent, essential, and public interest-related situations, in the face of delays and deadlocks in parliamentary proceedings”.
His comments echoed those of ‘labour minister’ Oguzhan Hasipoglu, who earlier drew attention to the fact that Tuesday was the last day of the month and that salaries had to be paid.
Ustel said the move was not carried out “behind the backs of the state’s institutional infrastructure”, but was a government that “does not shy away from responsibility and transparently takes on the burden for the best interests of the country”.
He said the decree was issued within the framework of the will of parliament and the powers granted by the constitution, and said it was “entirely legal and in accordance with our constitution”.
How do you view the use of decrees to address urgent fiscal decisions without a legislative vote?
