The Turkish Ministry of Justice not only revoked the election right of Abdulah Zeidan, who had been elected mayor of the metropolitan municipality of Van with the pro-Kurdish party DEM, but it also appoints as mayor the candidate of the ruling AKP who had lost by 30 points.
On Tuesday, the electoral committee of the Van region, in southeastern Turkey, decided to grant the “mandate” of mayor to Abdulahat Arvas of the AKP, who lost by a 30-point margin in Sunday’s elections.
Media outlets in Turkey report that the relevant council unanimously decided to grant the mandate to Arvas.
Zeidan’s rights were revoked after an objection was submitted by the Ministry of Justice two days before the elections and just 5 minutes before the end of the working hours.
According to the DEM announcement, the Ministry of Justice – literally at the “eleventh hour” – objected administratively to Zeidan’s right to be candidate regardless of the fact that he had passed all legal checks in 2022.
On the same day, the court’s decision essentially paved the way for his disqualification. Before the finalization of the decision and before exercising the right to object, the Supreme Electoral Council, which had approved Zeidan’s candidacy, was informed.
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The AKP, which came second in the Van elections by a margin of 30 points, requested from the regional electoral committee to confer the mandate to its candidate. The request was accepted by a majority.
On its part, the DEM party reacted to the decision and speaks of a governmental decision constituting a “coup” against it. “Our party, our members, and our people stand upright, and our legal and democratic reaction will continue until this illegality is eliminated,” the party notes.
