US: We don’t make prediction for Cyprus elections

"We see the elections for the Turkish-Cypriot parliament as a crucial opportunity for Turkish-Cypriots to express their will on the central question of whether they desire a Cyprus settlement based on UN Secretary General (Koffi) Annan’s peace plan and EU membership," State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said.

The United States and the United Nations blamed Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and his hardline nationalist policies for failing to end the Mediterranean island’s division.

The three main pro-European opposition groups in the TRNC have made it clear that if they win in December, they could remove Denktash as chief negotiator in unification talks, which have been stalled.

"In this sense, the elections are a referendum on the Annan plan that the Turkish-Cypriots were denied when UN-sponsored peace talks were abandoned by their side at The Hague," Ereli said.

"We hope the elections will be fully free and fair and that the will of the Turkish-Cypriot people will be reflected in the choice of negotiator for their community."

"There are a number of press reports concerning possible irregularities in Turkish-Cypriot voter lists, such as the inclusion of dubiously qualified voters.

"And these reports do cause us concern," he said.

Legislative elections are set for December 14 in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey.

The European Union has said it will admit only the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot side if the Mediterranean island is not reunified by May 2004.