Voting ended in the early parliamentary elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Sunday.

The voter turnout was 55.43% by 5.30 p.m. local time (3:30 p.m. GMT), according to the election authority.

Nearly 203,800 Turkish Cypriots went to the polls to elect lawmakers of the 50-seat parliament.

The voting started at 8 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT) and ended at 6 p.m. local time (4 p.m. GMT).

The unofficial election results are expected to be announced by the Supreme Election Committee around midnight.

Eight parties run in the election, with 403 candidates having contended for spots in parliament.

Women constituted 131 of the total 403 candidates – nearly one-third – with the youngest born in 1996.

With COVID-19 cases surging recently due to the omicron variant, health measures kept political rallies small, with no more than 150 people allowed. Also, those diagnosed with COVID-19 are not eligible to vote.

The Turkish Cypriot state last November set the date for early elections, one year ahead of the schedule.

The election threshold for parties in the TRNC to be represented in parliament is 5% of total votes.

The parties run in the election included the ruling National Unity Party (UBP), Republican Turkish Party (CTP), Communal Democracy Party (TDP), Democrat Party (DP), People's Party (HP), Communal Liberation Party-New Forces (TKP-YG), Rebirth Party (YDP), and Independence Path Party (BY).

Currently, there are 49 deputies in parliament; 20 from UBP, 12 from CTP, six from HP, three from DP and TDP, one from YDP, and four independent deputies.

Some 40 of the 49 current deputies of parliament run in the election.

Over Ersin Tatar having been elected as the TRNC's president, the number of deputies in parliament had decreased to 49.

Former Prime Minister Ersan Saner in October presented the resignation of the National Unity Party (UBP)-Democrat Party (DP)-Rebirth Party (YDP) coalition government to Tatar due to quorum issues within parliament.

In his statement, Saner said quorum issues, developments within the two coalition partner parties and certain problems in government lead to his resignation.

A new coalition government led by Faiz Sucuoğlu took their place for a temporary period.

Cyprus has been mired in a decadeslong dispute between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the United Nations to achieve a comprehensive settlement.

Ethnic attacks starting in the early 1960s forced Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves for their safety.

In 1974, a Greek Cypriot coup aiming at Greece's annexation led to Turkey's military intervention as a guarantor power to protect Turkish Cypriots from persecution and violence. The TRNC was founded in 1983.

It has seen an on-and-off peace process in recent years, including a failed 2017 initiative in Switzerland under the auspices of guarantor countries Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom.

The Greek Cypriot administration entered the European Union in 2004, the same year that Greek Cypriots thwarted the U.N.'s Annan plan to end the decadeslong dispute.