Court rules to suspend KKTC PM's authorities as party leader

Küçük won 704 votes at the UBP convention on Oct. 21, beating rival Ahmet Kaşif's 690 votes; eight votes of the total were declared invalid.

“We have witnessed the massacre of democracy,” Kaşif said after the voting results were announced, claiming that Küçük's victory was a result of tampering with party regulations regarding the number of votes needed to secure a victory. He then filed a criminal complaint, demanding a second round of elections take place.

In its interim decision, the court found Kaşif's objection to Küçük's victory rightful, suspending the latter's authority as the party leader.

After the court's decision, Kaşif's lawyer, Fuat Veziroğlu, told reporters that his client has not yet won the case, stating that it was an interim decision and that the trial continues.

The defendant can appeal the interim decision, the lawyer remarked. The court is expected to deliver its verdict in two weeks.