Turkey's Erdogan declares victory in close referendum to expand his powers, but opposition parties..

[DonViejo]

Source: The Washington Post



Turkey’s Erdogan declares victory in close referendum to expand his powers, but opposition parties contest results

By Kareem Fahim April 16 at 10:29 AM

BREAKING NEWS, 1:43 p.m.: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared victory in a close referendum to expand his powers, but opposition parties were contesting the results. Erdogan has made congratulatory calls to party leaders. If the vote stands, it would transform Turkey’s system of government, abolish the post of prime minister and entrench one-man rule, Erdogan’s critics say. He would be poised to be the country’s most dominant leader since Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish republic.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/turks-to-decide-whether-to-give-erdogan-vastly-increased-powers/2017/04/15/e79812b6-1bda-11e7-bcc2-7d1a0973e7b2_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_turkey1218pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&pushid=58f3adc64b88d11d0000000

[cstanleytech]

1. Not surprised in the least. nt

[atreides1]

2. I bet Edrogan counts votes...

...like Saddam Hussein use to count them!!!

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Turkish opposition urges cancellation of referendum result

Some ballots did not bear official electoral stamp, angering opposition parties

...
An unprecedented electoral board decision to accept as valid ballots that didn't bear the official stamp has led to outrage among opposition parties. The board made the announcement after many voters complained about being given ballot papers without the official stamp. The board said the ballot papers would be considered invalid only if it was proven they were fraudulently cast.

"There is only one way to end the discussions about the vote's legitimacy and to put the people at ease, and that is for the Supreme Electoral Board to cancel the vote," Tezcan said.

He said it was not possible for authorities to determine how many ballot papers may have been irregularly cast.

Electoral board head Sadi Guven rejected opposition claims of foul play, saying none of the ballot papers that were declared valid were "fake" or fraudulently cast. Guven said the decision was taken so voters who were by mistake given unstamped ballot papers would not be "victimized."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/turkey-opposition-urges-board-to-cancel-referendum-result-1.4072643

How do you know an unstamped ballot is not fake? Sadi Guven just does, that's how.

[Hortensis]

4. Where strong conservatives are ascendant, freedom is in danger.

I worry for some long-ago friends I've sadly lost track of. Turkey has been both a relatively enlightened secular republic and overwhelmingly Islamic. As a mother and daughter without a male relative, even then some aspects of life were becoming somewhat problematic with increased conservatism in general.

Best wishes to all the brave resistors who aren't already in prison.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

5. deleted nm