‘Elected Mayors Discharged by Statutory Decrees Won’t Be Given Certificates of Election’

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The Supreme Election Council (YSK) has ruled that the elected mayors who were previously discharged by statutory decrees during the State of Emergency shall not be given their certificates of election.

After some discharged candidates have won the elections according to unofficial results, objections were raised to the YSK.

Appealing to provincial election councils to find out whether the candidates in question have received their certificates of election, the YSK has ruled that the candidates who were previously discharged by Statutory Decrees shall not be given their certificates of election.

The YSK has made this decision based on the the following provision in a Statutory Decree: "The ones removed from office in this way cannot be employed in public service and cannot take office in public institutions."

In the justification of the decision, a reference has also been made to a judgement which was given by the 8th Chamber of the Council of State in 2017, ruling that "the municipal council memberships of those discharged by Statutory Decrees shall be abolished."

Dissenting opinion by 4 members of the YSK

While the YSK has given this decision by common consent, the decision of "granting the certificate of election to the candidates who have come second" has been taken by a majority vote.

Four members of the YSK have expressed dissenting opinion, stating that re-elections should be held in the districts in question rather than giving the certificates of election to the second candidates.

Decision applies to districts where AKP comes second

In six districts and towns won by the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), there were candidates who were discharged by Statutory Decrees.

In all of these places, the candidates nominated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have come second.

Mayorships won by discharged candidates are as follows:

In Bağlar, Diyarbakır: HDP candidate Zeyyat Ceylan: 70.34 percent; AKP candidate Hüseyin Beyoğlu: 25.46 percent.

In Tuşpa, Van: HDP'nin candidate Yılmaz Berki: 52.93 percent; AKP candidate Salih Akman: 39.37 percent.

In Edremit, Van: HDP candidate Gülcan Kaçmaz Sayyiğit: 53.81 percent; AKP candidate İsmail Say 41.79 percent.

In Çaldıran, Van: HDP candidate Leyla Atsak: 53 percent; AKP candidate Şefik Ensari: 43.43 percent.

In Tekman, Erzurum: HDP candidate Müzahit Karakuş: 48.53 percent; AKP candidate Mustafa Ergin 46.50 percent.

In the town of Dağpınar in Digor, Kars: HDP candidate Abubekir Erkmen: 54.25 percent; AKP candidate Ömer Vargün: 44.43 percent.

HDP: Election council accepted their candidacy

Making a statement yesterday (April 10), HDP Co-Chair Sezai Temelli said,

"Those friends of ours who were discharged by Statutory Decrees and run in elections made their applications in accordance with the candidacy criteria and their candidacy was accepted by the Supreme Election Council. All requirements for candidacy were fulfilled.

"After a process when no warnings or discussions were made about this issue, today, they are acting as if there had been no such process. That the YSK adopts a different attitude stems from its rejection of its own decision."

HDP candidate who comes second rejects certificate

In the district of Bulanık in Muş, Fikret Hamarat, the candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has come first in the elections with 41.99 percent of votes. However, he has not been given his certificate of election due to his previous criminal record.

The District Election Council has announced that it will give the certificate to Salih İlhan, the candidate of the HDP who has come second.

However, the HDP has rejected receiving the certificate of election on principal grounds and requested that re-elections be held in the district.

The AKP has come third in the elections in Bulanık. (AS/SD)