President Mustafa Akinci is leading the list of potential candidates for the presidential elections next year, an opinion poll has shown. However, nearly one third of respondents were undecided or wanted other candidates to stand.
The opinion poll conducted by the Centre for Migration, Identity and Rights’ Studies (CMIRS) has shown that out of the possible candidates for the forthcoming presidential elections in April 2020, President Mustafa Akinci (TDP), Tufan Erhurman (CTP) and Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu (UBP)are leading the race.
Following Prime Minister Ersin Tatar’s statement that he would not be a candidate, Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu UBP member for Famagusta was included in the poll conducted in September 2019.
Chairperson of the CMIRS, Mine Yucel stated that Tatar’s name was included in the opinion poll conducted in June 2019, adding that Tatar received 10 per cent in the September 2019 poll.
The names included in the current poll were Mustafa Akinci, Tufan Erhurman, Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu, Kudret Ozersay, Serdar Denktash and Erhan Arikli. The percentage of those stating that they would not vote, or that they are undecided or that they would vote for another candidate who was not included in the list was up to 28.6 per cent compared to 20 per cent in the last opinion poll conducted three months ago.
First in the preference of respondents was Akinci with 31.8%, compared to 33% that he received in the opinion poll conducted three months ago. Second was Erhurman with 17% compared to 16%, third was Hasipoglu with 8.12% and fourth was Denktash who increased his percentage to 7.8% compared to 6.8%. Ozersay, who received 4.8% in the current opinion poll scored the biggest loss in support since he had 11.4% in the previous CMIRS opinion poll conducted three months ago.
Finally Arikli received 1.8% compared to 2.2 % that he received in the last opinion poll.
Kibris
