The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has filed a criminal complaint against Supreme Election Board (YSK) President Sadi Güven and YSK members on allegations of official misconduct.
The YSK has attracted widespread criticism due to its decision to consider unstamped ballots cast in a referendum on Sunday as valid.
A constitutional reform package introducing an executive presidency in Turkey was approved by 51.4 percent of the electorate in Sunday’s referendum.
During the voting, some citizens cast their votes in unstamped ballots, while others used envelopes and ballots they brought with them, which prompted some opposition parties and naysayers to raise suspicions about the validity of the votes.
The criminal complaint against the YSK chairman and members was filed by HDP deputy group chairman Ahmet Yıldırım and HDP deputies İmam Taşçıer and Pınar Akdemir at the Ankara Courthouse on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters in front of the courthouse, Yıldırım said the results of the April 16 referendum should be cancelled.
“Although it seems to be only a partial constitutional amendment, it has been perhaps the most important referendum since the establishment of the republic. After voting ended in [Turkey’s] east on election day, the YSK made a change [regarding the voting procedure]. The YSK president and its members obviously did not live up to their duties and cast a shadow over the referendum results. As long as they don’t make a decision for the cancellation of the referendum, this referendum will not win legitimacy in the minds of the people,” said Yıldırım.
