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International14 FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 Welsh separatists hope to swing British election LONDON: They may only win a handful of seats at next month’s general election, but the Welsh nationalists could find themselves propelled from relative obscurity to influ- ence across Britain. With no party likely to win an overall majority on May 7, Plaid Cymru, a pro-independence socialist party, hopes to team up with others to propel the opposition centre-left Labor Party into power-while extracting concessions for Welsh nationalism. “This elec- tion provides Wales with an unprecedented opportunity,” their leader Leanne Wood has said. The party, whose heartland is in Welsh-speaking north- west Wales, is defending three of Wales’ 40 seats in the British parliament’s 650-member House of Commons. However, Plaid Cymru-meaning the Party of Wales-is hop- ing to replicate the rapid advance of their ideological soul- mates in Scotland: the pro-independence Scottish National Party. They have pledged to join forces with the SNP and the Greens in a bid to keep Prime Minister David Cameron’s centre-right Conservatives out of power-then call the tune in propping up a Labor minority government. All three parties are opposed to spending cuts to elimi- nate Britain’s deficit-something pledged by both the Conservatives and Labor. NICOSIA: Supporters of Turkish-Cypriot presidential candidate Mustafa Akinci (portrait) wave campaign Post-debate poll boost flags before a rally in northern Nicosia, in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a breakaway Previously little known outside Wales, Wood stepped enclave occupying about a third of the Mediterranean island, recognized only by Turkey. —AFP into the UK limelight on April 2 in the only seven-way tele- vised leaders’ pre-election debate. She got the biggest round of applause as she slapped down populist UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage. Wood has Cut-off Turkish Cypriots seek another chance to shine in Thursday’s five-way opposition leaders’ debate live on BBC television. Though UK-wide snap polls said she was the worst performer in the first hope in presidential election debate, it is only how voters in Wales see her that really matters. “Plaid had already won that debate just by being Incumbent Eroglu faces 3 main challengers there. It gave Leanne Wood a level of profile that she didn’t have before,” said Roger Scully of Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre (WGC). NICOSIA: Erham Tayfor lowers the black about 1,000 peacekeepers monitoring a ‘Candidates like belly dancers’ The first post-debate opinion poll in Wales-a YouGov woollen shawl she knits outside her ceasefire line that cuts through the Opponents accuse Eroglu of being survey of 1,143 adults for the WGC and ITV television con- market stall and ponders the business heart of Nicosia, Europe’s last divided too close to Ankara. But it is not clear ducted between Monday and Wednesday-showed only she might have were her homeland not capital. Decades of talks have failed to what, if anything, challengers such as Plaid making ground. The poll gave Labor 40 percent (no deemed illegal by almost every country unify the island, including a plan by Siber or former Nicosia mayor change); the Conservatives 26 percent (down one); UKIP 13 on Earth. “I hope we can change things,” then-UN secretary general Kofi Annan Mustapha Akinci would change. “I want percent (no change); Plaid Cymru 12 percent (up three) and says the 62-year-old, who lives in the which was approved by Turkish Cypriot the new president not to take orders the Liberal Democrats six percent (no change). Wood, a 43- northern part of the walled city in the voters in 2004 but overwhelmingly from Turkey and from other countries,” year-old trenchant republican, has been in charge of Plaid Cypriot capital Nicosia. “We want to be rejected by Greek Cypriots. Cyprus Tayfor says. “We don’t want anyone to since 2012 and has stamped her authority on the position. able to move freely and to trade without joined the European Union that year still interfere.” Yet experts say there is a lim- “The direction of the next government could come down to embargoes.” Tayfor is one of almost a divided island and, although the north it to how much a president can stand how strong a presence of Plaid Cymru MPs there are in par- 300,000 citizens of the Turkish Republic is technically part of the bloc, Turkish up to the region’s sole international liament,” Wood told supporters when she launched her par- of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), a breakaway Cypriots are denied nearly all of the ben- backer. “The candidates are becoming ty’s manifesto in Bangor, northwest Wales. The party is pil- enclave occupying about a third of the efits of EU membership. like belly dancers not to annoy Turkey ing resources into retaining their three seats and winning Mediterranean island. Some trade is allowed across the but also to look like they can annoy it,” three further target seats. “If Plaid Cymru holds the balance On Sunday they vote in a presidential ceasefire line but so far proposals for says TRNC analyst Mete Hatay. Still, of power, we will use that to rebalance power and wealth election knowing that whoever wins will direct trade with the rest of the bloc other issues have come up in the cam- throughout the UK, away from the financial sector in the be hamstrung by a geopolitical snarl have come to nothing. Turkish Cypriots paign, in what experts say is a welcome City of London and to those communities in Wales that generations of leaders and successive with foreign passports or those issued sign. need the investment,” said Wood. UN chiefs have failed to untangle. by the internationally recognized Greek “The president should be someone Incumbent Dervis Eroglu faces three Cypriot government can travel abroad who cares about the environment... Independence for Wales? main challengers in the election, which through the south but otherwise travel about the education system, the Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925, chiefly as a Welsh lan- not surprisingly has been dominated by is only possible via Turkey. A UN peace health system,” says Ahmed Sozen, guage pressure group. They won their first parliamentary questions of the enclave’s international envoy announced this month that nego- vice-rector of academic affairs at seat in 1966. They were Labor’s junior partners in the status and its relationship with the tiations were set to resume, but many Famagusta’s Eastern Mediterranean devolved Welsh government from 2007-2011. Plaid now Greek Cypriots to the south. Turkish Cypriots have lost faith in their University. “This is the first time I have holds 11 of the Welsh National Assembly’s 60 seats. They “There is a lack of recognition from leaders’ ability to reach a deal and open seen so much discussion about things came fourth in Wales in the 2010 general election, win- the international community and a lack the TRNC to the rest of the world. like corruption or nepotism,” says ning three seats with 11 percent of the votes cast there. of integration of Turkish Cypriots” in the “People have been born, lived, had Colak, the human rights lawyer. Separatist sentiment is not as strong in Wales as in global economy, says Sibel Siber, a for- children and families, and died waiting Gamze Karaderi, a 36-year-old mother Scotland, but Plaid hope this election could be their mer prime minister tipped by polls to be for them to resolve something,” says of two, says it was corruption that springboard, calling for the same powers and funding as Eroglu’s main rival. Following its inde- human rights lawyer Ermine Colak. Still, stymied her promising legal career. Scotland currently gets. pendence from British rule in 1960, turnout is predicted to be high and cam- She now works for free in a crafts shop The SNP, Plaid and Greens could be set to win up to 55 Cyprus was home to both ethnic Greek paign posters blanket billboards inside north Nicosia’s stone-walled seats between them, according to poll projections, and and Turkish communities. In 1974, in throughout Nicosia’s north. “It is my duty caravanserai after being denied a posi- could potentially lay down the law to Labor over unpopu- response to an Athens-engineered coup to vote,” says Ahmed Shahin, 29, hoping tion as a judge because she graduated lar spending cuts. Though they would put Labor in gov- seeking a union with Greece, Turkish the next president will help to end the in the TRNC, not in Turkey. Karaderi ernment, “they may well have considerable power over troops invaded northern Cyprus, with region’s isolation. “There’s no opportuni- doubts any leader can radically alter what that government does,” political science professor the TRNC later unilaterally declaring an ty here because we are closed,” he said. the territory’s reliance on Ankara, or its Scully said. “They have quite a lot of potential for influenc- independent state. The TRNC remains heavily reliant on worldwide isolation. But she still ing the content of budgets, further devolution. “The SNP Turkey, the only country to recognize the intends to vote. “I’ve not given up all and Plaid can just obstruct all legislation if they don’t get ‘No opportunity here’ territory and the provider of one third of hope,” she says. “I still love my coun- what they want. They can leave them swinging.” —AFP The island has been split since, with its annual budget. try. The problem is the system.” —AFP.

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