After lengthy negotiations, Türkiye's opposition alliance, known as the "table for six," has finally appeared to settle on a candidate for the upcoming elections. The alliance will meet on March 2, and it will be the last time they would discuss the name of the candidate, according to reports.
Kürşad Zorlu, the spokesperson for Good Party (IP), said at a news conference in the capital Ankara on Tuesday that the alliance would determine its candidate on Thursday, adding: "We will share this name with the public as soon as possible once the common will is established."
The candidate of the alliance has been the longest-running mystery of the election atmosphere that gripped the country in the past year, but a spokesperson for one of the alliance parties hinted that the declaration of the candidate's name may be delayed again.
The alliance was scheduled to announce its candidate on Feb. 13, a date announced before the Feb. 6 earthquakes in Türkiye's south. The catastrophe changed the country's agenda as all politicians are now focused on mobilization for earthquake victims.
The IP trails closely behind the Republican People's Party (CHP) in election polls and the two parties are the strongest in the alliance. IP Chair Meral Akşener and CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu met on Monday ahead of Thursday's meeting.
Zorlu dismissed the rumors that the two leaders were engaged in "bargaining" for a candidate. "Let our nation be assured: IP knows what they want, what they expect. We are continuously consulting with (other parties)," he said. Two parties have been at odds on several issues and Meral Akşener has recently harshly criticized CHP over Kılıçdaroğlu's failure to show up in a solidarity rally with CHP's Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu after the latter was sentenced by a court in an insult case. Akşener joined Imamoğlu in the rally in Istanbul.
The table for six candidates will face President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the incumbent leader who enjoys longstanding popularity thanks to his successive victories in all elections in the past two decades.
Following the earthquakes, a debate started on the postponement of elections but the opposition parties have announced that the vote should go ahead as planned on May 14. An official from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) dismissed the idea of postponing the elections in statements on Monday.
IP officials on Tuesday visited the AK Party and CHP, to discuss the state of the electorate in earthquake-hit areas. Lawmakers consulted with each other on how to handle the election process in the disaster zone. Şenol Sunat, an IP lawmaker, told reporters that they suggested an amendment to the electoral law for displaced voters who resettled in other cities so that their votes could be counted in their original constituencies.
A delegation from the Supreme Election Board (YSK) left for earthquake-hit areas on Monday to make election arrangements in the disaster zone. According to media reports, the YSK delegation will examine whether a secure election is possible in disaster-hit areas. The disaster left a trail of destruction in its path. It is believed that many election materials, from ballot boxes to voting seals, are buried under the rubble. At the same time, some buildings used as polling stations collapsed. The delegation will check the damage and look for facilities suitable for setting up polling stations. They will also look into possibly setting up polling stations at "tent and container cities" where earthquake survivors are currently accommodated.
However, the most pressing issue for the YSK is voter registrations. The board is expected to implement new regulations to facilitate the registration process for those whose residences were destroyed in the earthquake and those who had to leave their hometowns and settle in other cities. Reports say survivors who moved elsewhere will be registered where they relocated. Yet, the YSK does not plan a change in the number of lawmakers per constituency in disaster-hit provinces. The number of lawmakers is usually based on the size of the population. The bigger the population is, the more candidates are eligible to be elected.