The leader of Turkiye's opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu, said on Tuesday that the general election in Turkiye must take place as scheduled in May or June despite the impact of devastating earthquakes that shattered the country's southeast last week.
On Monday, former Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc suggested postponing the election because "the country must get rid of the pre-election stress" amid the quakes.
"The constitution is very clear. Elections can only be postponed in the event of war. Since there is no war, the election cannot be delayed. No one can create a unique legal norm by inventing justifications outside the constitution and laws. If we say 'Turkiye is a constitutional state,' it is impossible to do this [postpone the elections]," Kilicdaroglu was quoted by the Cumhuriyet newspaper as saying. The opposition believes that any demands to postpone the election are a pretext for incumbent authorities to avoid it altogether.
In late January, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the general election in the country was scheduled for May 14, a month earlier than originally planned. However, the parliament should approve the new date, although Erdogan has the power to dissolve it and announce early elections that will take place 60 days after the parliament’s dissolution.
