HDP: Give Mandate to Elected Mayors

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Sezai Temelli, Spokesperson of the Commission for Law and Human Rights, Ayşe Acar Başaran, and the Spokesperson of the Commission for Elections, Ali Ürküt have held a press conference on the unlawful practices during the election period.

"We are still discussing election results"

Commenting on the stance of the Supreme Election Council (YSK), Temelli made the following remarks:

"We face a situation of a great injustice in the elections and of the foundations of the election security is being shaken. Even though the elections are completed, Turkey is still discussing the election results at the end of the ten days that passed after the election. YSK's lack of foresight lies behind this.

"The society of Turkey is facing situations like the YSK not complying with its own precedents, not recognizing its own laws, violating the Constitution.

"YSK is a constitutional institution. There is no upper authority to appeal against the verdicts of the YSK. Such an important institution it is."

"Not a single objection by HDP is accepted"

"None of our objections are accepted. While objections by all parties are accepted to a certain extent, and almost 90 percent of AKP's objections are accepted, and the ballot boxes are being recounted again and again, not s single objection by HDP is accepted.

"We face the reality that [YSK] is acting upon the orders by the government."

"Winning candidates are not given mandate"

Temelli said that his party's winning candidates who were dismissed upon the Statutory Decrees during the state of emergency period between 2016 and 2018 are not given mandate by the YSK.

HDP candidates won the elections for the metropolitan municipalities of the mostly Kurdish-populated Van, Diyarbakır and Mardin, by clear margins, though they have not been mandated yet.

The YSK has yet to make a statement on why it did not mandate HDP's mayor-elects.

"It is being debated that not giving mandate to those who were dismissed by the Statutory Decrees. This debate is disregard of the law in itself. It is disregarding its own precedents, own laws."

"Laws that YSK will obey are very clear"

"Here, we once again warn that mandates should be given to all the elected in everywhere that the results have become definite.

"Especially in the Articles 67 and 76 of the Constitution, criteria for candidacy are stated very clearly. According to the Articles 67 and 76 of the Constitution, YSK must do its part. It is very clear that which laws YSK should obey."