YSK Is Procrastinating

After the Appeals Court approved the prison sentences given by the local court to the four officials of Democratic Public Party (DEHAP), who were accused of handing false documents about their organization for the general elections, eyes are fixed on High Election Board (YSK).However YSK seems to take its time. Tufan Algan, the chairman of YSK, said that they would receive petitions until Wednesday evening, and only then, they would start examining the issue. An official from YSK told Hurriyet that the decision could be taken on the issue no earlier than next week. The approval of the Appeals Court ruling that Mehmet Abbasoglu, the former chairman of DEHAP, Nurettin Sonmez, Ayhan Demir, and Veysi Aydin, former administrators of the same party, arranged forge documents to participate in the November 3 elections turned the eyes to YSK. The decision gave way to speculations on possible re-elections and thereby caused ISE to fall and the value of dollar to rise. However, YSK, which will take a historical decision, started to take its time.IP And GP Asked For CancellationWorkers’ Party (IP), Young Party (GP) and two citizens, retired non-commissioned officer Kalender Kilinc and Metin Mehmet Yildiz, appealed to YSK for the invalidation of the elections.Decision, 700 Meters FarYSK decided to ask for the written decision of the Appeals Court. However it was found out that the arrival of the decision text from the Appeals Court, whose building is only 700 meters far from the building of YSK, would take two days. Algan said that preparations for the local elections of 2004 were under way in YSK and that "The Decision will take time. In this time frame, we will try to take the legally most appropriate decision in a manner to relieve the public conscience.”DYP Did Not Ask For CancellationOne of the paries that appealed to YSK on Tuesday was True Path Party (DYP), however, it did not petition to invalidate the elections. Instead DYP demanded that the votes cast in the election should be re-counted excluding those for DEHAP, which will reduce the 10 % threshold and enable DYP to enter Parliament.�