Seven Municipal Council Members of HDP Dismissed in Muş

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Seven Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) members in the Muş Municipal Council have been dismissed upon an order by the Ministry of Interior. HDP Local Governments Co-Vice Chair Salim Kaplan released a written statement on the subject yesterday (10 September), saying that six HDP candidates who won mayoral elections on March 31 were not given a mandate because they were previously dismissed from public posts upon statutory decrees.

Kaplan added that 20 HDP members of municipal councils have been dismissed so far.

He claimed that Muş Municipality and Malazgirt district Municipality were taken from them "by cheating and illegal methods":

"While the government seized the municipalities that the HDP won with a trustee coup, it also showed that it cannot tolerate an HDP majority in any local administration by targeting the municipal assemblies and provincial general assemblies, the majority of which were won by our party.

"The aim is to destroy the majority of the HDP's parliament and to continue its rent and pillage understanding, to seize the will of the voters, and to put the assemblies, one of the local decision-making bodies, completely under the power.

"The AKP-MHP government is making dirty plans day and night to destroy even the smallest gain and the smallest organization of our party and people. Together with our people, we once again declare that we will not surrender to these dirty plans and that we will continue our struggle by enlarging and strengthening our organization even more.

The written notices sent to council members Kader Erol, Filiz Aydin, Ceyhan Aydemir, Suat Kalin, Mehmet Sakir Tugrul, Musa Kaya and Mehmet Demir did not give any justification for dismissals. The Muş Provincial Assembly consisted of 26 HDP members, 19 Justice and Development Party (AKP) members, two Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) members and one Republican People's Party (CHP) member.

In the local elections held on March 31, 48,245 votes were cast in Muş. The AKP received 34.76 percent and the HDP received 33.59 percent. The difference was 593 votes. HDP' objections about 2,500 invalid votes were rejected. (RT/VK)