The People’s Democratic Party (HDP) cannot appoint representatives in voting centres outside Turkey, the country’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) decided on Monday following a request filed by the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), raising concerns among opposition voters over election security, Habertürk reported.
MHP claimed that the pro-Kurdish HDP lost the right to appoint representatives in voting centres outside Turkey when it began to field candidates under Green Left Party lists for the 14 May elections, a measure taken by HDP to mitigate against an on-going legal case that threatens to close down the party.
According to election rules in Turkey, the five political parties with highest voter support in previous elections are entitled to appoint representatives to ballot boards in voting centres.
The YSK treats all voting centres outside Turkey as a single election zone. In 2018 elections the three parties with highest voter shares were allowed to send representatives to the ballot boards.
YSK’s decision will replace HDP representatives with MHP representatives in voting centres outside Turkey on 14 May.
According to latest YSK figures, in Turkey’s upcoming elections there are 3,286,786 eligible voters in foreign countries or at border gates. How these external votes are cast will have a significant effect on the distribution of parliamentary seats and the presidential race.
In June 2018 elections, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) were supported by 52.53 percent of voters casting from outside Turkey, followed by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) with 17.49 percent. The HDP received 16.77 percent of votes cast outside the country, while the MHP came fourth with 8.02 percent.