News & Comment
2019 Local Elections and a General Evaluation on Elections

News

By the budgetary proposal filed to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the aid that the political parties will get, has become clear. The treasury will support five parties with 772,3 million Turkish liras in total. (Sputnik News 10 October 2018)

Comment

When democracy is mentioned, people immediately think of elections, because it’s one of the important means the people encounter frequently. For this reason, the Muslims are being deceived by the lie that democracy consists of elections. Since there’s no stability in the societies where Muslims live, and those are arenas where conflicts arise between imperialists themselves, elections are held at short intervals in countries like Turkey. For example, between 1946 and 2002, 15 general elections and at least this much, local elections and referendums were held in Turkey. When local elections are taken into consideration, on average, elections were held biyearly.

According to the current provisions of law in Turkey, 2/5000 of the General Budget is given to each political party every year that exceeds the 10% threshold. Whether elections are being held or not during the year, this money is given to political parties. And the amount is two or three times higher during electoral periods. According to the general budget law enacted by the parliament in 2018, 772,3 million Turkish liras in total is paid to the political parties.

The official aid amount handed out by the state due to elections, is like this. However, also personal expenses are spent by the candidates in electoral periods. According to research, more than 10 dollars is spent on elections per voter in Turkey. According to the report of the Supreme Electoral Council, there are 57,093.985 voters with respect to the 2019 local elections. So, about 600 million dollars will be spent for elections in the 2019 electoral period.

The personal expenses spent by the candidates in either parliamentary elections or local elections, are not to be underestimated at all. When one thinks that people who even abstain from helping a poor, spend millions of liras from their own pocket due to elections, it’s an issue known by everyone that they will get back this money and a lot more, if they win the elections. For example, it is known that the candidates in Istanbul spent at least 10 million Turkish liras in the 2018 general elections. When one thinks that this money turns back to them illegitimately, there is no doubt that this money goes out from the Ummah’s pocket.

In short, the direct expenses in capitalist democracy systems due to elections and the expenses which will be spent later by people who win these elections, are not to be underestimated at all. As for the state aids in consequence of elections, these are covered by the tax revenues without making a distinction between rich and poor. The restitution of expenses, spent by the candidates during the elections, and a lot more via different ways and which is tens of times higher, is being realized through tax revenues as well. Therefore, the burden of tax on people has become unbearable.
This is the reality of elections in democratic systems and expenses for these elections in a nutshell, and these expenses are entirely oppression, injustice and theft of Ummah’s money.

As for the elections in the Islamic Khilafah System (Caliphate) and the expenses in these elections:

Firstly, there are two important issues within the scope of elections in the Islamic Khilafah System. The first of these is that the Ummah chooses the Khaleefah. Together with the fact that it is lawful to use different methods in the election of the Khaleefah, like it was the case during the golden age, the elections are not the same as how they are held today. Because, if the Khaleefah dies or there is a Shar’i situation wherein he needs to be dismissed, a new Khaleefah must be chosen within three days, and it is absolutely unnecessary to spend huge amounts of money unlike how it is done today. Moreover, the Khilafah Rashidah State will work on how the elections could be held with the lowest costs, and holds elections accordingly. So, neither the state, nor the Khaleefah candidates have to spend billions of liras.

Secondly: the Majlis ul-Ummah elections. The Majlis ul-Ummah in the Khilafah Rashidah State, takes on an important task related to ensuring contact between the Ummah and the Khaleefah, accounting the rulers and ensuring that the Khaleefah consults them regarding the issues of the Ummah. The members play an important role in transferring matters like troubles in the regions they represent, the needs of the Ummah and malpractices of the rulers in their regions to the centre of the Khilafah, and solving the problems of the Ummah rapidly and properly.

As for the election process in the Majlis-ul Ummah membership election, this is carried out according to the conditions in the constitution of the Khilafah State.

This election is held in specified stages, so that there is easiness and the representation capability of the Ummah is met as well. It is not necessary to spend huge amounts of money for these. Besides, the members of the Majlis-ul Ummah have nothing to do with monetary issues, unlike the mayors today. They also don’t have authorities and tasks like collecting money from the people to carry on the works, and spending these within the framework of their own plans, unlike the mayors today.

Thirdly: the Khaleefah who rules in the Khilafah Rashidah State will be on duty until he dies, as long as he possesses the qualifications regarding the Khilafah.

Therefore, holding a Khaleefah election once in four or five years, is out of question. Because holding Khaleefah elections for short periods is not possible, it is not necessary to spend money from the state budget. Only the Majlis ul-Ummah elections are held once in five years.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Muhammed Hanefi Yağmur