CHP to Raise Objection of ‘Absolute Unlawfulness’ to Supreme Election Council

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Republican People's Party (CHP) Representative to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) Mehmet Hadimi Yakupoğlu has announced that they will make an objection of "absolute unlawfulness" to the YSK in response to its decision to rerun Metropolitan Mayoral Elections in İstanbul, where CHP's Ekrem İmamoğlu was elected according to unofficial election results.

Speaking to Kübra Par from Habertürk TV yesterday (May 7), Yakupoğlu stated that the Metropolitan Mayoral Elections in İstanbul have been cancelled "as the number of voters who cast votes at the ballot boxes, whose balloting committee chairs and members were not public officers, is higher than the 14-thousand margin of votes between the top two candidates."

Underlining that political parties do not have the authority to check whether the balloting committee chairs and members are public officers or not, Yakupoğlu has indicated that this information is, in fact, safeguarded by the Law on Protection of Personal Data.

It is expected that in the light of CHP Party Assembly's decision, the party will submit its written application to the Council today.

'Whole election would have been cancelled'

Yakupoğlu stated that if there had been an unlawfulness in İstanbul local elections, then, the whole İstanbul election would have been cancelled:

"If the İstanbul Metropolitan Mayoral Elections had been cancelled by a verdict of absolute unlawfulness, then the whole election, namely the elections of district mayors, district municipal councils and neighborhood and village heads, whose voting minutes were signed by the same balloting committees, should have been cancelled as well."

Yakupoğlu further stated, "The YSK said, 'In the current situation, I cannot take any action of absolute unlawfulness as the process of extraordinary objection is in effect now. I examine all objections submitted to me as an extraordinary objection. If a party comes to me for an objection, I will evaluate it within the process of extraordinary objection'."

'Presidential elections would also be inspected'

Yakupoğlu said that they will raise an objection of "absolute unlawfulness":

"We, as the CHP, will submit an objection to the YSK tomorrow [May 8] on the ground that the irregularity committed in forming the balloting committees in 39 districts of İstanbul constitutes an absolute unlawfulness.

"We will raise an objection regarding the balloting committees who were on duty in elections of district mayors, district municipal councils and neighborhood/village heads in İstanbul and request their cancellation."

Concluding his remarks, Yakupoğlu stated,

"The moment the YSK accepts the absolute unlawfulness, it will also have to give a ruling on Presidential elections and elections on June 24. This ruling would not apply to the referendum."

CLICK - Supreme Election Council Cancels İstanbul Elections

In its ruling dated May 6, the YSK has ruled that only the İstanbul Metropolitan Mayoral Elections shall be cancelled. The certificate of election granted to Ekrem İmamoğlu has been taken back.

Until a new mayor is elected in June 23 repeat local elections in İstanbul, İstanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya will serve as Deputy Metropolitan Mayor. (AS/SD)