Ottoman general election, 1877 (first)

General elections were held in the Ottoman Empire in 1877. It was the first election in the history of the country at all.

Background

Preliminary election regulations were adopted on 29 October 1876 which konstatierten that elected members of the Provincial Board of Directors are elected by the members of the first parliament of the Ottoman Empire. On December 24, the first Ottoman Constitution was promulgated, which prescribed a bikamerales Parliament with an appointed Senate and an elected House of Representatives.

The candidacy was restricted to men over 30 who were the Ottoman language capable and had full civil rights. Reasons for exclusion from the election were dual citizenship, working for a foreign government, personal bankruptcies, working as a staff member or the " notoriety for nefarious deeds ."

Outcome and aftermath

The Parliament met on 19 March 1877, and was suspended on June 28. New elections were held later in the same year for a Parliament, which met in December.