A political decision. Or, to put it as BDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas, a political plot. The decision by the High Board of Elections (YSK) to exclude from the 12 June elections 12 independent candidates (7 of them BDP sponsored) is a clear, well thought, precise political decision aimed to hit at the Kurdish people and their representatives.

Ali Em, chairman of YSK said on Tuesday that the decision of the board was a definite decision.

The 'excuse' used to motivate this decision though appears nothing but a fig leaf.

The board excluded 12 independent candidates because of the applicants' previous criminal records, as officials are reported to have said to the government Anatolia news agency.

The board ruled that 12 independent candidates, including Hatip Dicle, Leyla Zana, Sebahat Tuncel and Gultan Kisanak, had previous convictions which prevented them from being elected deputies.

But as BDP Demirtas has stated there is no legal obstacle to the politicians involved to run the elections.

The board said Ýstanbul deputy Sebahat Tuncel, who had been elected an MP in the latest general elections, had not had any criminal records at the time. However with a real words game the Board said that it was detected that her former conviction had been entered into records right after the election.

As for Diyarbakir MP Gültan Kýþanak the Board ruled that her previous conviction had been detected when records had been examined with her maiden name.

General elections in Turkey were last held in 2007, which saw the AK Party claimed a powerful 46.58 percent majority to win 341 seats.

Main opposition CHP received 20.88 percent of the popular support to win 112 seats, and MHP won 14.27 percent and 71 seats. A total of 26 independent candidates were elected MPs.