Labeled Paschal Candle

Iraqi Kurdish women's organizations, unhappy with the number of candidates for elections DHL

The number of women candidates for the forthcoming general elections to be held on June 12 in Turkey "disappointing", say women's organizations that have campaigned to include parity in electoral lists of the major political parties, while acknowledging that progress has been made with respect to other elections.

"The number (of women candidates) has not fully met our expectations. It's disappointing. There should be a parity law in the Constitution ... We will continue to develop our campaign in this direction," he told reporters Çiğdem Aydın , chairman of the Association to Support Women Candidates (KA-DER), which has spearheaded the campaign "275 Women in Parliament" asking that half of the parliamentarians of the Turkish National Assembly are women.

"Even so, the ratio (female candidates) is better compared with the last elections (general), 2007, as the númeero of women who may be chosen has passed the hundred," he acknowledged in remarks Aydın Turkish press yesterday.

"However, at best, between 100 and 110 women deputies can be elected to Parliament. Even though this proportion seems to increase, it will even 20% (of total members) "said Nazan Moroğlu meanwhile, coordinator of the Association Women of Istanbul, criticizing the attitude of politicians. "As before each election, leaders of political parties promise to implement real democracy and that women have their place in parliament in greater numbers. However, do not fulfill their promises," he said.

The four main parties-the ruling AKP, the opposition CHP, the nationalist MHP and the Kurdish nationalist party BDP-have included a total of 257 candidates on their lists to the general election in June, according to data provided by KA-DER association. Of these, 109 correspond to the CHP, 78 to AKP, MHP and 2 68 to the BDP. But as explained its president, Çiğdem Aydın, only 38 women in the lists of the CHP, 55 of the electoral lists of the AKP, MHP and 8 are located in positions where they have a real chance of being elected.

Currently the number of women parliamentarians in the Turkish National Assembly is 30 deputies of the AKP, CHP 9, 2, MHP, 7 of BDP and 1 DSP minority (Democratic Party izquierza) a total of 49 deputies.