UPDATE 2 – Election body orders election re-run in Istanbul

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS</p> <p>By Busra Nur Bilgic</p> <p>ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK) on Monday announced that a do-over election in Istanbul will be held on June 23.</p> <p>The council members accepted the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's objection to the local election results in Istanbul with seven votes in favor and four against.</p> <p>According to the YSK, the decision was taken as some presiding officers and polling staffs, who are supposed to be civil servants as per Turkish law, served during the elections.</p> <p>The YSK has decided to file a criminal complaint against the chairman and members of the district election council, election managers and other persons responsible for appointing polling staffs unlawfully. </p> <p>The mayoral certificate of the main opposition Republican People’s Party's (CHP) Ekrem Imamoglu has also been cancelled by the council.</p> <p>“With this decision, our demand for re-election has been vindicated,'' said Recep Ozel, AK Party's YSK representative.</p> <p>The YSK has also rejected objections to election results in Istanbul's Maltepe and Buyukcekmece districts. </p> <p>President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is currently chairing his party’s Central Executive Board’s (MYK) extraordinary meeting at the party’s headquarters.</p> <p>The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) will hold extraordinary assembly meeting on Tuesday under the chairmanship of the party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.</p> <p>Millions of Turkish voters cast their votes nationwide on March 31 in local elections to choose mayors, city council members, and other officials for the next five years.