Turkey’s main opposition files complaint against 10 election board members

ANKARA

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The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has filed complaints against 10 members of Turkey’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) over a controversial decision it made in the April 16 constitutional referendum. 

The YSK decision to accept unstamped ballot papers “unless it can be proved that they were brought from outside the voting room” sparked a major debate on the results of the referendum, in which the “yes” campaign emerged as the winner with 51.4 percent of the votes.

The CHP appealed the decision, but the YSK on April 19 said it rejected it, with only one affirmative vote from its 11 members.

The main opposition party on May 5 filed complaints against Council of State members within the YSK with the Council of State, and Supreme Court members with the Supreme Court, demanding an investigation to be launched into them. 

The CHP did not file a complaint against the YSK member who wanted to accept the main opposition’s appeal. 

The YSK went beyond its authorities and boundaries in accepting the unstamped votes as valid and breached to abide by the hierarchy and methods of working principles, according to the CHP. 

“All this contrariety against the law can’t be evaluated as a human mistake and professional inexperience. The complete lawlessness caused the danger of referendum cancelation and prompted endless doubts and debates regarding the results, thus the members committed the crime of abusing their duties,” the complaint filed by the CHP read.