According to soL international latest report, Turkey's top election authority has ruled the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) will not be allowed to run in June 24 snap elections.
Supreme Election Board (YSK) has also not approved the participation of the leftist ÖDP and EMEP. YSK, which acts according to the directives of the AKP government, announced that only 10 political parties were eligible to take part in the elections.
The board announced that AKP, MHP, CHP, İyi Party, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Independent Turkey Party (BTP), Great Union Party (BBP), Democrat Party (DP), Vatan Party (VP) and Felicity Party (SP) will be eligible to take part in the upcoming election.
YSK has approved the participation of the fascist İyi (Good) Party in the upcoming elections after 15 Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmakers joined the party in order to ensure its entrance to the elections.
Voters criticize the electoral council (YSK) for acting dependently on Erdoğan’s AKP party, considering that the YSK imposed many unlawful electoral decisions on political parties and controversially made a last minute decision to regard unsealed ballots valid just as the votes were counted at the April 2017 constitutional referendum.
From his side, Kemal Okuyan, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) said the party is going to submit on April 23 a petition of objection to the YSK. In an answer to the questions of soL news, Okuyan noted that TKP met all the requirements set by YSK, adding that "Our party attorneys are going to present our objection with all evidence and documents to YSK."
Regarding the question of further plans of TKP, unless YSK does not accept their objection, Okuyan said "The rejection of our objection would be an unlawfulness that we got accustomed to and yet will never submit to. We will, for sure, go after it. We will take the voice of socialism to the platform of election under every circumstance."
Okuyan also commented on 15 parliamentary main opposition CHP MPs joining fascist İyi Party. He said "There is nothing surprising about that, we expected it. Alliance of parties that have no outstanding difference is normal, and even useful. And yet, we are going to see once more that all these are not to the benefit of the people. We said, as TKP, a year ago that a project had been devised that integrated İyi Parti, CHP and also other parties. Erdoğan can be beaten by means of such a project, but the people can never and ever win. Everybody will understand soon why we talk in a such a precise manner."
Parties with 20 or more deputies are recognised as groups in parliament and then automatically have the right to run candidates. The CHP has 116 members in the 550-seat parliament after the departures.
Noting that TKP is going to release soon an extensive declaration on 24 June snap elections, Okuyan added that they are going to keep opening new party branches. Okuyan also said the number of people saying "this system should be changed" is increasing rapidly.
