Over the last 8 years, the AKP-MHP Coalition Government has destroyed the already weak democratic institutions of the country. Due to the oppression of NGOs and the press, electoral frauds by the ruling parties have not so far been investigated.
Both the ongoing closure case against the HDP at the Constitutional Court, and the Kobani Case against HDP executives, are politically motivated and have caused huge electoral obstacles. Because of these cases, the DEM Party was founded to carry out the democratic struggle of HDP. Despite amendments to the electoral laws in favour of the ruling AKP, the government’s monopoly and censorship over the media, the government’s use of public resources for electoral campaigning, the arrest of politicians, and countless frauds and irregularities, President Erdoğan could only get 52 percent in the presidential election.
The crackdown on the HDP is intensifying in the run-up to the local elections. After the last local elections in March 2019, the HDP controlled 67 municipalities, including 3 metropolitan municipalities and 5 cities. However, the government purged the elected mayors of 59 of these 67 municipalities and replaced them with “kayyums” – governors appointed by the Turkish government as “trustees”.
Despite these unlawful practices, our party is committed to reclaiming these municipalities and limiting the power of the AKP-MHP by building democratic fronts of resistance across the Kurdish provinces and the broader country.
It is clear that the Turkish regime is attempting to centralise all power in Erdoğan’s palace in Ankara. We see the upcoming elections as an opportunity to defend local democracy and limit the powers of the palace. Given the circumstances under which the elections will take place, we are aware that this is a challenging task, but it is not an impossible one.
Tuncer BAKIRHAN & Tülay HATİMOĞULLARI ORUÇ
Co-Chairs of DEM Party
10 Januari 2024
