Prime minister lashes out at election watchdog
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Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 26, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - The prime minister harshly criticized the Supreme Election Board, or YSK, for its decision that bars female poll watchers from wearing headscarves while attending the ballots.
His criticism was followed yesterday by a more compliant statement from the justice minister toward the board’s ruling.
"YSK defines ballot box areas as public spaces. What will Europe say when it hears this? Poll watchers are not representatives of the state but of the political parties," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, speaking at his party’s Bartın rally late Tuesday.
Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin said the YSK’s decision must be obeyed. "YSK has made a decision. People can debate it if they like or dislike the decision. But YSK’s decisions are certain and must be obeyed," he said.
Erdoğan said there might be women with headscarves among political parties’ poll-watchers and the YSK cannot hinder one’s right to become a ballot box board member as a representative of a political party. "Turkey, itself, puts obstacles in its own way to democracy. Democracy cannot develop with such obstacles," he said. The YSK recently announced that members of ballot box boards, who were appointed by political parties, were required to comply with the dress code.
Another YSK decision that requires voters to have ID numbers on their identity cards also became a target of Erdoğan’s criticism.
Round the clock
"Registration offices are working day and night to enable citizens to cast their votes. If one of my citizens cannot use his democratic right, this makes me sad. I think YSK has made a serious mistake," he said.
The YSK had recently sent a memo to city governors to inform people about the requirements to vote in the upcoming local elections. But the requirement of ID numbers has created uncertainty in the country, endangering the votes of approximately 3.5 million citizens who do not have an ID number on their ID cards.
Upon criticism, the YSK announced that a copy of a birth record that includes the person’s national ID number and is signed by the registration office could also be submitted to vote, but the decision has brought about long queues at registration offices.
"YSK defines ballot box areas as public spaces. What will Europe say when it hears this? Poll watchers are not representatives of the state but of the political parties," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, speaking at his party’s Bartın rally late Tuesday.
Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin said the YSK’s decision must be obeyed. "YSK has made a decision. People can debate it if they like or dislike the decision. But YSK’s decisions are certain and must be obeyed," he said.
Erdoğan said there might be women with headscarves among political parties’ poll-watchers and the YSK cannot hinder one’s right to become a ballot box board member as a representative of a political party. "Turkey, itself, puts obstacles in its own way to democracy. Democracy cannot develop with such obstacles," he said. The YSK recently announced that members of ballot box boards, who were appointed by political parties, were required to comply with the dress code.
Another YSK decision that requires voters to have ID numbers on their identity cards also became a target of Erdoğan’s criticism.
Round the clock
"Registration offices are working day and night to enable citizens to cast their votes. If one of my citizens cannot use his democratic right, this makes me sad. I think YSK has made a serious mistake," he said.
The YSK had recently sent a memo to city governors to inform people about the requirements to vote in the upcoming local elections. But the requirement of ID numbers has created uncertainty in the country, endangering the votes of approximately 3.5 million citizens who do not have an ID number on their ID cards.
Upon criticism, the YSK announced that a copy of a birth record that includes the person’s national ID number and is signed by the registration office could also be submitted to vote, but the decision has brought about long queues at registration offices.