The pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party primaries, to determine candidates for nomination as co-mayors, municipal council members and provincial council members in Turkey’s coming local elections, are taking place this weekend in the country’s Kurdish-majority eastern and southeastern provinces.
Before the voting in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır (Amed), where one of Sunday’s main primaries is being held, the candidates introduced themselves and presented their projects.
There will be around 20,000 delegates in the polls, which will run into the evening hours. There are 15 candidates, four women and 11 men, running for the posts of co-mayor of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality.
The first round of voting was completed on Saturday in the eastern provinces of Van (Wan), Erzurum (Erzîrom), Ağrı (Agirî), Iğdır (Îdir), Muş (Mûş), Elazığ (Elezîz) and the southeastern provinces of Hakkari (Colemerg), Siirt (Sêrt), Bingöl (Çewlîg) and Batman (Êlih). Counting continued late into the night, with several cities and districts falling short of the 50 per cent+1 majority needed for an outright victory, leading to run-offs.
A second round of voting will take place on Sunday in most regions.
Turkey’s local elections are scheduled to take place on 31 March.
