Home > 2.1 The competent bodies and their tasks > TÜRKIYE - Joint Opinion on Amendments to the Electoral Legislation and Related "Harmonisation Laws" Adopted in March and April 2018
 
 
 
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Paragraph 39
 

As for the SBE, the March amendments did not affect its organisation as such. However, the new constitutional context after the 2017 constitutional reform may have consequences for the independence of the SBE and lower electoral boards. The composition of the SBE is entrenched in the Constitution (Article 79) and has not been changed by the amendments to the electoral legislation. According to Article 79 of the Constitution and Law 7062 of 30 November 2017, the SBE has 7 members and 4 alternate members. Of these full and alternate members, serving six year terms, 6 are elected by the Court of Cassation and 5 are elected by the Council of State. In addition, the Law on the Basic Provisions on Elections and Voter Registers (Article 17) provides that the four political parties which received the highest number of votes in the last parliamentary elections and/or political parties which have groups in the Parliament, may each assign one representative and one alternate representative to the SBE. These representatives of the political parties may participate in the meetings of the SBE, but crucially, do not have the right to vote.