Supreme Election Council to Rule on Objections Against Local Elections in İstanbul This Week

* Photograph: AA (Archive)

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Ali İhsan Yavuz, the Vice Chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) responsible for Electoral Affairs, previously announced that they submitted a petition of extraordinary objection to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) on April 16, 2019, requesting that the local elections in İstanbul be cancelled and re-elections be held in the city.

Authorities from the party went to the YSK building with three suitcases. Yavuz said, "There are documents of what we said in three suitcases."

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), the YSK is expected to give its final ruling regarding the objections on May 3 the latest.

Following suit, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which entered the last two elections in Turkey as the People's Alliance with the ruling AKP, also appealed to the Council, demanding that the elections of İstanbul Metropolitan Mayorship and Maltepe District Mayorship be cancelled.

Statutory decree objection of AKP rejected

On April 23, the YSK announced an interlocutory ruling and rejected the objection of the AKP, which previously applied to the YSK, alleging that it is not legal for the ones discharged by statutory decrees to vote.

In its judgement, the YSK also ruled that balloting committee chairs and members who were not on duty or civil servants shall be investigated.

Objection of MHP rejected

One day later, the YSK announced its judgement regarding the request of the MHP or the cancellation of local elections in İstanbul and Maltepe.

Considering that the allegations regarding voters under legal disability are examined as part of the AKP's objection raised a day ago, the YSK decided not to request information about this issue once again.

Yıldırım: Our part is to wait for the YSK's ruling

Binali Yıldırım, the candidate of People's Alliance for the Metropolitan Mayorship of İstanbul from the ruling AKP, stated the following yesterday:

"I am not a person who would strive to win a lost election. I have seen higher positions and I have assumed responsibility in more positions.

"What I am sensitive about is to ensure that the votes cast for us reach their rightful place. We have made effort for that.

"The judicial process has been continuing at the Supreme Election Council. Our part is to wait for its result and, afterwards, everyone will do their own business." (PT/SD)