News

Turkish PM calls for new constitution after election victory

Nov 02 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Todays Zaman

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu called on Turkey's political parties to come together and agree a new constitution after his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) regained its parliamentary majority at a general election on Sunday.

"I'm calling on all parties entering parliament to form a new civilian national constitution," he said in a balcony speech to thousands of AK Party supporters at the party headquarters in Ankara, as fireworks lit the sky.

Reports of security violations, threats overshadow elections

Nov 02 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Todays Zaman

As Turkey rushed to the polls in one of the most crucial elections in the history of the republic, reports of citizens in Southeast provinces being forced to vote under the surveillance of security personnel, fights breaking out in polling stations and electricity cuts fueled speculation of violations of election security.

Polls closed in eastern provinces under tight security

Nov 01 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Polls closed in 32 eastern provinces of Turkey on Nov. 1 at 4 p.m. amid intense security measures due to recent clashes in the region.

During the polling hours, police special operations team stood ready near schools in the Sur district of Diyarbakır, which had previously experienced eight curfews during clashes between security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). 

Turkey again at ballot boxes for knife-edge election, five months on

Oct 30 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

Only five months since the last general election failed to produce a single-party government, Turkish voters return to polling stations on Nov. 1, with slim prospects of a substantial difference raising the stakes for all parties.

The five months since the June 7 vote have seen renewed clashes between the security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), major attacks likely staged by jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and a widespread feeling of vulnerability amid security gaps.

Anomalies await voters, candidates

Oct 30 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

Amhad Mahmood.-

LAHORE: Of the registered 20.12 million voters in the 12 Punjab districts, where local council polls are being held on Saturday, several may find problems in locating their vote and polling station because of anomalies in voter lists and polling scheme.

The irregularities in voter lists cropped up when the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) adopted bloc codes (division of area in a certain way) to prepare computerised lists, arranged by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics for population census in 2012. But the census was left incomplete.

Wafaqi Colony: Candidates campaign over civic amenities

Oct 30 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
LAHORE: 

Local government candidates from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have been campaigning aggressively for elections in Union Council-220, Wafaqi Colony.

They say the densely-populated area is plagued with problems. Both claim to be the only hope for their constituency.

PTI’s candidate for vice chairman Naseer Bhalla says provision of basic facilities is on top of his agenda. He says opening public schools in the neighbourhood was another priority.

Mustafa Town: PTI bows out to let Jamaat-i-Islami take on PML-N

Oct 30 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

Ammar Sheikh.-

LAHORE: 

The Jamaat-i-Islami and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will battle it out in Union Council 112. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has withdrawn its candidates for chairman and vice chairman to clear the field for JI in the area traditionally considered a PML-N stronghold.

 

JI’s Ammanullah Khan is vying for chairman and Mazhar Jillani for vice chairman. According to the deal they struck with the PTI, they have planned to split the ward councillor seats between them.

 

Shahi Qila: Candidates embroider manifestos with impossible promises

Oct 30 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

Rana Tanveer.-

LAHORE: 

Providing an uninterrupted supply of gas and electricity, across the board employment and lower tariff on electricity may seem like wishful thinking, but they are on top of the agenda of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidates in Union Council 38.   

The candidates feel that they need to promise the sun and the moon to starry-eyed supporters, because, “how else will we win their hearts?”

PPP positive it will dominate LG polls on Saturday

Oct 30 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

Sarfaraz Memon.-

SUKKUR: 

The ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is adamant to sweep the local government (LG) elections on Saturday. So much so that it has been accused of influencing officials to cancel the nomination papers of opponents, making rival candidates withdraw in favour of their own and reshuffling polling staff at the eleventh hour.

Turkish President thinks Obama campaign ‘master minds’ behind HDP

Oct 29 2015
Turkey
Source: 
Hurriyet

An ongoing tussle between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the co-chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has reached Washington after the former suggested that a company that once managed U.S. President Barack Obama’s presidential election campaign has now been hired by the Kurdish problem-focused party to run its campaign for the Nov.

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