Recounting of Votes Stops in Maltepe, İstanbul; Votes Being Counted Again

* Photograph: Binnur Ege Gürün - Ankara / AA

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In the district of Maltepe in İstanbul, where the votes cast for March 31 local elections were being counted again, the recounting of votes has been stopped. The process of recounting will start again this morning (April 15).

The number of balloting committees has also been reduced from 12 to two. It has been agreed that the recounting of votes will start at 9 a.m. today.

The decision of the Maltepe District Election Council to recount the votes cast in 400 ballot boxes has been objected by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).

Before this decision was taken, 913 of 1,089 ballot boxes had already been counted in Maltepe. It was expected that the recounting of votes in the remaining 176 ballot boxes would end last night.

What happened?

After the local elections were held on March 31, 2019, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) raised an objection in Maltepe, İstanbul, demanding that the votes cast in the district be counted again. On the 10th day of the recounting, the members of the AKP and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) intervened in the recounting process.

Judges and clerks were threatened after the Maltepe District Election Council decided to increase the number of balloting committees from 12 to 22 so that the votes could be counted more quickly. The District Election Council took down a minute regarding the incident.

And yesterday (April 14), the recounting of votes halted upon the rejection of  polling clerks of AKP and MHP to sign the minutes.

After the AKP raised an extraordinary objection, the Supreme Election Council (YSK) revoked the decision of the District Election Council to increase the number of balloting committees. The number of balloting committees has now decreased from 12 to two.

With the decision of the YSK, the recounting of votes undertaken by 10 additional balloting committees were deemed invalid. After there remained 175 ballot boxes to recount, the recounting has stopped.

Accordingly, the recounting of votes already done in over 400 ballot boxes has been cancelled. Maltepe Election Councils have decided that no additional counting terminal be established to speed up the process.

CHP has objected to the decision

Making a statement on the issue, CHP Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu has announced that they have objected to the decision of the YSK.

Former CHP MP Barış Yarkadaş also posted a tweet at 7.15 p.m. yesterday and stated that 913 of 1,089 ballot boxes in Maltepe had been counted.

After the recounting stopped, Yarkadaş also announced that the CHP objected to the decision." (AS/SD)