The elections are behind us, but the cutting and chopping are not… As you know, because of our electoral system, if a candidate wants to get ahead of the others and be elected, they have to get “ticks” from either party votes or mixed votes. In my view, it is quite a democratic and good system, provided it is not regional. However, like any system, this one is not free of distortions, since people are involved. For example, a candidate has to work not only to get more “ticks” and move ahead, but also to stop another candidate from getting too many “ticks.” Someone else’s failure can be your success. And sometimes you can even get elected without doing much at all. Because while others are busy dealing with one another, you can slip through.
In any case, under our electoral system, it is possible to raise yourself up by interfering with voters’ freedom to choose. So, as soon as the election results are announced, people generally look at the ballot boxes to see who cut whom, and sometimes things can get unpleasant over halva… But whatever happens, the same now-classic arguments follow every election: “If … hadn’t cut me, I would be an MP by now” becomes the most frequently heard sentence. Unfortunately, elections are really about who cut whom more effectively. In other words, nobody looks at the pilaf in front of them; they take a spoonful from someone else’s. So instead of arguing over who got more ‘ticks’ from whom, comments from people who were not candidates but are following the issue fly around: “Wow, well done to … They didn’t just cut them—they carved them up, maşallah.” The bad thing is that arguments grow as a result, and even friendships are broken.
Mixed votes
Another feature of the election results is that mixed votes were used extensively. It is possible to connect this to voters’ move away from party affiliation. Voters who went to the polls but had grown disillusioned with politics chose to cast mixed votes and give ‘ticks’ to people they considered good, rather than stamping for a party. Of course, we should not forget that relationships with family and friends also played a part, and that the Toparlanıyoruz Movement helped raise awareness by making a call on this issue. The freedom the system gives voters was used extensively in this election! I don’t know whether this will continue, but I think it contributed to the change in parliament. I hope this group, described as “new faces,” does not become old-fashioned once they take their seats…
Conclusion
The result from the ballot box was a coalition. But on the question of a coalition, voters gave politicians a degree of freedom, subject to certain conditions. Ultimately, politicians will exercise that freedom and a coalition government will be formed; however, it is important to assess the results carefully at this point and act accordingly! One thing politicians need to analyze carefully is the question, “What are voters saying to the political establishment?” We will soon see what conclusion politicians reach on this. I hope they act on a proper analysis, understand the voters, and help our country overcome the deadlocks it is facing…