CHP's move in Hatay: Recount of votes requested

In the March 31 Local Administration General Elections, Lütfü Savaş, who ran as the CHP's candidate for Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, finished the race in second place according to unofficial results. 

The CHP, which finished the race behind by a margin of 3,890 votes according to unofficial results, filed an objection with the Provincial Election Board last Tuesday. 

CHP Deputy Chairmen Murat Bakan and Gökçe Gökçen, along with CHP Hatay Provincial Chairman Hakan Tiryaki, members of parliament, and party members, held a press conference in front of the Provincial Election Board. CHP officials stated that the vote margin had narrowed to 2,735 following corrections made to mathematical and record-keeping errors.  

Bakan, stating that they have been following the process as a group of 10 members of parliament and 2 deputy chairmen, said, “Upon the instruction of our chairman, we were assigned here as two deputy chairmen. We came here with 10 of our fellow members of parliament. We have been here for 4 days, following the legal processes. We are following the political processes. We are fighting so that not a single vote of the people of Hatay goes to waste.” 

CHP Deputy Chairman Gökçe Gökçen stated that the margin had narrowed to 2,735 with the correction of mathematical calculations, saying, “A legal process has been underway from the beginning, and we are filing our objections. Initially, with the correction of material errors, the margin, which was 3,890 on election night, has narrowed down to 2,735. This is just from correcting material errors. What are these material errors? For example, if an error is made in the records, if there is doubt in the mathematical calculation, or in the same way, votes that should have been recorded for our party being recorded for other parties, or votes cast for our party and our candidate Lütfü Savaş being recorded as zero. With the correction of these, the margin has narrowed down to 2,735 in this ongoing process.” 

CITED GAZİOSMANPAŞA AS AN EXAMPLE

Citing the decision to recount votes in Istanbul's Gaziosmanpaşa district as an example, Gökçen stated that the count should be renewed in Hatay as well because the number of invalid votes is 10 times the margin between the candidates, saying, “In Istanbul's Gaziosmanpaşa, votes are being recounted by the decision of the election board. In Gaziosmanpaşa, the election board says; 'There is a margin between the votes and there are also invalid votes.' Due to the number of invalid votes and the fact that the reasons for them were not written down, the reasons for invalid votes must be recorded as shown in Election Law No. 298. These reasons were not written, and in Gaziosmanpaşa, the election board says; 'The margin and the number of invalid votes whose reasons were not written are almost 10 times apart, and therefore I decide to recount the votes.' It says this situation affects the election results. In Hatay, our number of invalid votes is 38,900, and the margin is 2,735; that is, the margin is more than 13 times smaller. You are counting these votes in Gaziosmanpaşa, but you are not counting the votes in Hatay. There are more than 38,000 invalid votes, and the margin is around 2,735. Do not try to rush things with such a small margin. Stop putting pressure on the judges; we remind the judges that unlawful orders are a crime. We are continuing the process. We have further objections to the Provincial Election Board, and we will have objections to the Supreme Election Council (YSK). We invite everyone to stand up for democracy here.” 

News Source: 12punto