Elections of Delegates of Qurultay of Crimean Tatar People Finished in Ukraine

18 June 2013

The elections of the delegates of new Qurultay of Crimean Tatar People finished in the territory of Ukraine, however the election process continues abroad. The Head of the Central election commission on the elections to Qurultay Mr Zair Smedlyaev said in his interview to the reporter of Radio Free Europe.

According to him, the commission now sums up the preliminary results of the elections that lasted from March to mid June this year. Mr Zair Smedlyaev noted that the activity of the Crimean Tatar electors on these elections was much higher compared to the elections of 2007.

According to the unofficial data, 198 of 250 delegates have been elected. Two delegates in accordance with the Majoritarian system will be elected among the Ukrainian citizens in Uzbekistan. The rest 50 seat will go to the delegates elected in accordance with the proportional system. The results of this election will be summed up also after the completion of the election process in the territory of Uzbekistan.

Mr Zair Smedlyaev informed that the date of the elections of the delegates of Qurultay among the Crimean Tatars who live in the places of the deportation in Uzbekistan still “remains undecided”. According to him, the talks are holding now with Ukrainian and Uzbekistan structures concerned.

Qurultay is the general Crimean Tatar convention, the traditional form of the ethnic self-governance of the Crimean Tatars. It was founded in its modern form in 1917 and was revived in 1991. The delegates are elected in accordance with the mixed system for 5-year term.

Qurultay elects the executive body – Mejlis headed by the well-known human rights activist Mustafa Jemilev for the last 20 years. He has already stated that he won’t nominate for the position of Mejlis Head, but won’t refuse from influencing the politics.

The new composition of Qurultay is supposed to gather at its first meeting at least in autumn this year, the message of the Radio Free Europe said.