Cyprus will enact a new law to allow Turkish Cypriots to vote in European Parliament elections next year, a government official said yesterday.

The law would apply only to European Parliamentary elections and is unrelated to the island’s 1960 constitution that defines separate electoral rolls for Greek and Turkish Cypriots in local polls.

“The idea is for legislation to set the framework so there will be no impediment for Turkish Cypriots to take part in the elections,” said government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides.

Cyprus votes by proportional representation and has been allocated six seats in the European Parliament. Technically, it is seen as one electoral district under EU voting directives. The island will join the European Union in May.

Meanwhile, Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash warned he would use his powers to block the pro-EU and pro-reunification opposition parties from accepting a UN-sponsored reunification plan, if they win upcoming parliamentary elections, Turkey’s private CNN-Turk television said yesterday. Denktash said he would resign if that failed. (Reuters, AP)