13 Parties to Participate in Local Elections, Excluded Parties Criticize Election Council

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The Supreme Election Council (YSK) has announced that 13 parties will participate in the local elections, which will be held on March 31, 2019.

The following political parties will participate in the elections:

Justice and Development Party (AKP)
Independent Turkey Party (BTP)
Great Union Party (BBP)
Republican People's Party (CHP)
Democratic Party (DP)
Democratic Left Party (DSP)
Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP)
Free Cause Party (HÜDAPAR)
İYİ Party
Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
Felicity Party (SP)
Communist Party of Turkey (TKP)
Patriotic Party (Vatan Partisi)

The parties' places on the joint ballot paper will be determined by a draw which will take place on January 27.

Voter lists for neighborhood units will be hung from January 4 to January 17. Voters who are confined to bed because of disabilities or illness should apply through a relative within the designated time.

Political parties will submit their lists of candidates on February 19. Temporary candidate lists will be announced on February 22, final lists will be announced on March 3.

Election propaganda and election silence will begin on March 21.

From March 21, 2019 to March 30, 2019 on 6 p.m., it will be forbidden to publish the results of public opinion polls, surveys or forecasts regarding the election or make broadcasts that can influence the opinions of the voters ten days before the election.

Criticism from EMEP, LDP and ÖDP

Three political parties which were not included in the list of the participating parties in the local elections have criticized the Supreme Election Council.

The Labor Party (EMEP) Chair Selma Gürkan has said, "The Supreme Election Council ignored the records of the Supreme Court of Appeals and did not include our party in the list of the parties which will participate in the elections. This approach of the YSK is far from objective, totally arbitrary and antidemocratic" in a written statement.

Gürkan has said that they will make "necessary objections with documents, will never accept the arbitrary decision by the YSK and will not permit their right to do politics to be extorted."

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has said, "We regretfully announce that our party was not permitted to participate in the elections due to not being with the political power and its team, unlike HÜDAPAR and because of farcical reasons. We want you to know that we need you more than ever to join our party to remove the excuses which were presented as reasons" in a statement it posted on Twitter.

The Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) has also made a statement on Twitter:

"Our party is not included in the list of the parties to participate in the elections. Our party provided the conditions of organizing which were determined by the YSK. For this reason, we will use our right to object the decision." (AÖ/VK)