Hardline Turkish Cypriot Politician Wins Presidential Election
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Turkish Cypriot politician Dervis Eroglu has swept to victory in presidential elections, winning 50.38 per cent of the vote, unofficial final results showed.

Dervis Eroglu celebrates his election win at the party headquarters in Nicosia. Photograph: The Sunday Telegraph
Mr Eroglu's main rival, incumbent leader Mehmet Ali Talat, won 42.85 per cent of the vote, pending ratification by an electoral commission.

Mr Eroglu has vowed to continue peace talks amid fears his victory could grind reunification negotiations with the Greek Cypriots to a halt and scuttle Turkey's bid for European Union membership.

Mr Eroglu is seeking broad autonomy for Turkish Cypriots in reunification talks with Greek Cypriots – a position that the Greek Cypriots object to.

"It's time to find peace," he said.

"No one should expect me to leave the negotiating table," he told the crowd that cheered, honked horns and set off fireworks at an impromptu victory rally.

"We will be at the negotiating table for an agreement that will continue the existence of our people in this land with honour."

The island's division is already hampering Turkey's EU drive and could halt it if peace talks collapse.

Since Turkey is a Nato member such a move also could cripple closer co-operation between the military alliance and the EU, and increase regional instability. >>> | Sunday, April 18, 2010

Chypre du Nord: Eroglu élu au premier tour
leJDD.fr: Le Premier ministre et partisan de l'indépendance de la partie turque de Chypre, Dervis Eroglu, a été élu dès le premier tour de l'élection présidentielle, selon les résultats définitifs officiels portant sur la totalité des bulletins dépouillés. Il est crédité de 50,38% des voix, contre 42,85% pour son rival, le président sortant Mehmet Ali Talat. Selon la commission électorale, le taux de participation s'élève à 75%. Dervis Eroglu devra négocier le règlement du statut de l'île, divisée depuis 1974 entre une partie chypriote turque - non reconnue par la communauté internationale - et une partie grecque qui représente Chypre dans l'Union européenne. [Source: leJDD.fr] | Dimanche 18 Avril 2010

Ahmadinejad to Nominate Three Women for Cabinet Jobs
THE GUARDIAN: Iranian president's move could result in country's first female ministers for more than 30 years

The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said today he would nominate three women to join his new cabinet.

The nominations could lead to the appointment of the first female ministers in Iran for more than 30 years.

They appear to be an attempt by Ahmadinejad to win the support of Iranian women as he fends off opposition claims that his re-election to the presidency in June was fraudulent.

However, the appointments seem unlikely to appease reformists because two of the three women are fellow hardliners.

Speaking on state television, Ahmadinejad said he would nominate Marzieh Vahid Dastgerdi, a 50-year-old gynaecologist, as health minister and Fatemeh Ajorlu, a 43-year-old MP, as minister of welfare and social security.

He did not name the third woman, but said he would nominate at least one more female minister to his cabinet. >>> Associated Press | Sunday, August 16, 2009

Ahmadinejad’s Deputy Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie Forced Out by Hardliners
TIMES ONLINE: Hardliners have forced out Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s deputy, despite his being a member of the President’s family.

Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie’s departure comes just four days after he was appointed. Mr Mashaie, whose daughter is married to President Ahmadinejad’s son, had outraged clerics and politicians after saying that the Islamic Republic was a “friend of the Israeli people”.

Mr Mashaie’s resignation was announced by Press TV, Iran’s state-run English-language television station. Last week another vice-president, Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, who headed Iran’s nuclear programme, also resigned. Mr Mashaie also attracted conservatives’ disapproval after allegedly watching unveiled women dancing at a tourism exhibition in Turkey two years ago.

The resignation came amid reports that a British Embassy employee would be released on bail after three weeks in jail on charges of inciting unrest after last month’s disputed election.

Hossein Rassam, chief analyst at the embassy in Tehran, was the last of nine embassy staff accused of involvement in opposition rallies.

The President had shown a “twisted face to clerics and elites” by appointing Mr Mashaie, said Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a hardline Ahmadinejad ally. “Ahmadinejad should not challenge conservatives with such decisions. I request the President to replace him before more criticisms are made,” he said.

The President’s choice of first vice-president does not need Parliament’s approval but his new cabinet ministers will.

Mr Ahmadinejad would have struggled to get his ministerial choices past parliament. Mr Mashaie’s departure could make that task easier. >>> Michael Purcell in Iran | Sunday, July 19, 2009