Baku, Azerbaijan, August 9
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
The TurkPA International Observers Mission has arrived in Turkey to conduct a short-term monitoring of the presidential election to be held Aug.10, 2014.
During the visit, the TurkPA International Observers Mission headed by Nizami Jafarov, member of Azerbaijan's Milli Mejlis (parliament), held meetings with chairman of the Grand Election Council, Sadi Guven, chairman of the Constitutional Court, Hashim Kilish, member of the Millet Meclisi (parliament), chairman of TurkPA Commission on Legal Issues and International Cooperation Haluk İpek and other TurkPA members from the Turkish parliament, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Naci Koru, as well as other dignitaries, TurkPA told Trend.
During these meetings, the observers were given detailed information about the measures taken on preparation for the presidential election and ensuring internationally recognised election standards.
Turkish officials said that the nationwide presidential election has been organised for the first time and therefore the government took all the steps to ensure so all the citizens could use their right to vote. For example, from July 31 to Aug.3, 2014 Turkish citizens living abroad cast their ballots at Turkey's diplomatic missions and points that were rented by the Turkish government. The total number of voters consisted of approximately 53 million, including nearly 2.7 million voters registered abroad.
As distinct from the previous presidential election, the Turkish president will be elected by the people, not by the parliament as of 2014, according to the results of a referendum held in 2007. The Turkish president will be elected for five-year term instead of the previous seven-year term, according to the referendum results.
If none of the candidates gains 51 percent of votes in the first round, the second round will take place Aug.24.