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Campaign for Istanbul do-over election underway

Opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu, who narrowly won election as the city’s mayor in March, begins his campaign anew after electoral officials revoked his mandate this week. The ruling party says a rerun election will provide clarity after a bitterly disputed vote.
Ekrem Imamoglu, ousted Istanbul Mayor from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), speaks during an interview with Reuters in Istanbul, Turkey, May 9, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC14F86613B0

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s opposition has begun restaging an electoral battle for control of Istanbul after its candidate’s historic victory as Istanbul mayor was voided, and the ruling party has started a public relations push to explain the contentious nullification, which has hit the country's financial markets.

The Supreme Electoral Council on Monday stunned the country when it scrapped the result of the March 31 mayoral election and stripped the winner, Ekrem Imamoglu, of his mandate to lead Istanbul. The council cited irregularities in the appointment of some polling station officials in its extraordinary decision — the first time an election in a major Turkish city has been overturned.

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