Istanbul demonstrates against mayoral re-poll

Istanbul protesters took to street to protest Turkey's top electoral authority's decision of re-election. The election board has ordered for re-election on June 23rd.

Istanbul: Hundreds of protesters took to the streets on Saturday to protest Turkey's top electoral authority's decision to cancel the results of a March 31, mayoral race for Istanbul, which was won by the opposition.

They ordered a revote on June 23. The country's electoral board ruled in favour of a challenge made by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party, finding the polls on March 31, invalid.

Ekrem Imamoglu of the opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, had won the election by a slim margin, defeating the AKP ruling party's candidate, former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.

Opposition protesters said that the decision to overturn the vote increases concerns over democracy in Turkey and raises questions over the ruling party willingness to accept electoral defeat and relinquish power.

Erdogan's party says the Istanbul vote was marred by fraud but the opposition says the electoral board was pressured by the government, which desperately wants to hold on to power in Turkey's largest city.