Turkey's top court rejects CHP’s cancellation appeal of election safety law

ANKARA

The Constitutional Court has rejected the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) appeal for the cancellation of the legislative package that stipulates changes in Turkey’s electoral laws, an amendment that the CHP says casts a shadow over election security.

The Court rejected the CHP’s appeal on May 31 after making an assessment of seven articles in the legislative package that stipulates changes in election procedures.

The main opposition had appealed to the top court after parliament passed the law amending several articles in election and political party laws, arguing that the new procedures would jeopardize election security.

The CHP had demanded the cancellation of articles that allow the Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) to change the location of ballot boxes in a number of constituencies, as well as to transfer or unite ballot boxes in certain constituencies deemed to be at risk of safety problems.

The YSK announced on May 28 that the ballot boxes of 144,000 voters in total have been change, in a total of 19 provinces in Turkey’s southeast.

The CHP also demanded cancellation of the procedure for the appointment of ballot box committee chairs, as well as the validation of unsealed ballot box papers and the given of ballot box envelopes that are marked.

Another article that the CHP was concerned about was an article that allows police forces or security officials to enter election areas upon a citizens’ complaint regarding safety concerns.