1912 Ottoman general election
Early general elections were held in the Ottoman Empire in April 1912. Due to electoral fraud and brutal electioneering, which earned the elections the nickname Sopalı Seçimler ("Election of Clubs"), the ruling Committee of Union and Progress won 269 of the 275 seats in the Chamber of Deputies,[1][2] whilst the opposition Freedom and Accord Party only won six seats.[3]
Background[edit]
The elections were announced in January 1912, after the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) lost a by-election to the Freedom and Accord Party in Istanbul in December 1911.[4] The CUP had hoped early elections would thwart the efforts of the party to better organise itself.[2] The CUP platform represented centralist tendencies, whilst Freedom and Accord promoted a more decentralised agenda, including supporting allowing education in local languages.[2]
Aftermath[edit]
The manner of the CUP's victory led to the formation of the Savior Officers, whose aim was to restore constitutional government. After gaining support from the army in Macedonia, the Officers demanded government reforms. Under pressure, the Grand Vizier Mehmed Said Pasha resigned.[1] Sultan Mehmed V then appointed a new cabinet supported by the Officers and Freedom and Accord.[1] On 5 August 1912, Mehmed V called for early elections. However, with the election underway in October, the outbreak of the Balkan Wars led to it being interrupted.[2] Fresh elections were eventually held in 1914.
The CUP went to the polls in an electoral alliance with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, but the alliance broke down after only 10 of its 23 candidates won seats due to a lack of support from the CUP.[5]