The governing National Unity Party (UBP) will hold its 23rd Ordinary General Congress tomorrow at the Lefkoşa Atatürk Sports Hall.

Three candidates, incumbent party leader and Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, Hasan Taçoy and Ahmet Melih Karavelioğlu are contesting for the party’s leadership.

Saturday’s party congress will begin at 08:30 in the morning with a quorum check and voting is expected to begin at 11 AM.

In addition to electing the new party leader, votes will also be cast for the 70-member Party Assembly.

A total of 122 candidates are vying for seats in the assembly, with voting to continue until 9:00 PM.

The ballot for the leadership election will feature Ünal Üstel in the first position, Ahmet Melih Karavelioğlu in the second, and Hasan Taçoy in the third.

For the party council, voters will mark 16 candidates for Lefkoşa, 13 for Gazimağusa, 11 for Girne, 5 for İskele, 3 for Güzelyurt, and 2 for Lefke.

Specific quotas for women and youth will also be filled.

While the counting of votes for the party leadership is expected to begin at 9:00 PM on Saturday, the party assembly votes will be counted on Sunday morning.

 Results will be announced immediately after counting concludes.

The candidate who secures an absolute majority will be declared the new party leader.

If no candidate achieves this in the first round, a second round will be held the following week, as per party rules.

Meanwhile, President Ersin Tatar is scheduled to address the congress, after which a resolution on the Cyprus issue will be presented and voted upon.