NICOSIA, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Cypriots will go to the polls on Sunday in an early election that may impact efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, one of the longest standing issues on the United Nations agenda.
Just over 190,000 Turkish Cypriots are eligible to vote for new deputies in a parliament of a breakaway state that is only recognized by Turkey, which partitioned the eastern Mediterranean in a military operation in 1974.
Turkey occupied the northern part of Cyprus, forcing Greek Cypriots out, in reaction to a coup organized by the military rulers of Greece at the time.
The 50 seats are contested by eight parties, but only 4 or 5 of them are expected to win over the 5-percent threshold which allows any party to attain a seat.
Though the number of voters who will cast ballot papers is expected to be much smaller than the total of registered voters, the chief election officer said the first results are not expected before Monday morning.
This is due to a new and complicated electoral process that will permit voters to choose candidates from different parties.
Most analysts expect a close sharing of seats between parties of the center-right and those of the left.
However, it is more difficult to make a guess as to the parties which will form a new Turkish Cypriot administration as small parties holding the balance may move either way.
A center-right administration on the track of the outgoing one will be considered as a strong indication that Turkish Cypriots move further away from an agreed solution for a federal Cypriot state that would again bring together Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, who in his capacity as leader of the Greek Cypriot community is negotiating with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, said in an interview on Friday that a center-right administration will most likely try to impose its nationalist policies.
"Though the negotiations are being conducted by the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, it will be possible for a nationalist administration to try to influence his decisions," said Anastasiades.
Center-right parties oppose a federal solution and a joint government with Greek Cypriots and favor either a separate state or a loose association with Turkey.
Leftist parties oppose breaking away from the rest of Cyprus and support a federal system under which Greek and Turkish Cypriots would share power.
Greek and Turkish Cypriots came close to an agreement last summer, but the negotiations broke up in disarray.
