Parties seek a more flexible election board
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Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 18, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - Leaders of the mainstream political parties are set to meet today with the president of the Supreme Election Board to request more flexibility in its decision that bars millions from voting in the local elections because of identity cards lacking an ID number.
The political parties in Parliament will ask the Supreme Election Board, or YSK, today to be flexible in its decision that stipulates that voters without national identification numbers on their identity cards will not be able to vote in the local elections.
In a recent memo to the governors, the YSK said voters will be required to present identity cards that display their national identification numbers in the elections. But in Turkey, national identification numbers were not included on ID cards until after 2001, and around 3.5 million voters are likely to be ineligible to vote in the local elections if they fail to renew their identity cards before the election date.
The YSK also said voters who present any official document that bears their national identification number can vote in the elections. Following the announcement, citizens have lined up at registration offices to change their identity cards. Some judicial institutions have accused the YSK of failing to adequately inform the public about the issue, but the YSK said the decision couldn’t be abolished as they have simply implemented the law and the respective law should be changed.
The ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP; the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP; and the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, will meet today at 11 a.m. with YSK President Muammer Aydın to ask for flexibility in the board’s decision. They argued that the number of people who do not have an ID number on their identity card is fairly high and that it is not possible to complete the preparation of the new identity cards before the elections.
Identification cards
Nihat Ergün of the AKP said the election law required the presentation of identity cards or other identification cards that show national identification numbers, while the YSK classified the identity cards among the documents that have to have national identification numbers on them.
"The YSK should review its decision and accept the presentation of identity cards for voting. The respective law is too clear. Many citizens haven’t changed their identity cards yet and there are long queues before the registration offices. Maybe millions can’t vote for this reason," he said.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Beşir Atalay told journalists yesterday that there were 3.5 million people who didn’t have national identification numbers on their identity cards. He said in addition to identity cards, driver’s licenses and passports, which bear national identification numbers, could also be used to vote in the elections. "There is no need for panic. If needed, the registration offices may also work at night. We have taken all measures in this respect," he said, adding that if the YSK had announced its decision earlier, people could have renewed their identity cards more easily.
In a recent memo to the governors, the YSK said voters will be required to present identity cards that display their national identification numbers in the elections. But in Turkey, national identification numbers were not included on ID cards until after 2001, and around 3.5 million voters are likely to be ineligible to vote in the local elections if they fail to renew their identity cards before the election date.
The YSK also said voters who present any official document that bears their national identification number can vote in the elections. Following the announcement, citizens have lined up at registration offices to change their identity cards. Some judicial institutions have accused the YSK of failing to adequately inform the public about the issue, but the YSK said the decision couldn’t be abolished as they have simply implemented the law and the respective law should be changed.
The ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP; the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP; and the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, will meet today at 11 a.m. with YSK President Muammer Aydın to ask for flexibility in the board’s decision. They argued that the number of people who do not have an ID number on their identity card is fairly high and that it is not possible to complete the preparation of the new identity cards before the elections.
Identification cards
Nihat Ergün of the AKP said the election law required the presentation of identity cards or other identification cards that show national identification numbers, while the YSK classified the identity cards among the documents that have to have national identification numbers on them.
"The YSK should review its decision and accept the presentation of identity cards for voting. The respective law is too clear. Many citizens haven’t changed their identity cards yet and there are long queues before the registration offices. Maybe millions can’t vote for this reason," he said.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Beşir Atalay told journalists yesterday that there were 3.5 million people who didn’t have national identification numbers on their identity cards. He said in addition to identity cards, driver’s licenses and passports, which bear national identification numbers, could also be used to vote in the elections. "There is no need for panic. If needed, the registration offices may also work at night. We have taken all measures in this respect," he said, adding that if the YSK had announced its decision earlier, people could have renewed their identity cards more easily.