Justice and Development Party (AK Party) committees for the adjustment laws for the new presidential system have sped up their efforts to present their draft to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan next week in order to pass them in Parliament before it recesses.
"Our committees will present the final draft to President Erdoğan on April 19. Prior to that, we will have a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım," AK Party Deputy Chairman Hayati Yazıcı said Thursday in a televised interview and added that a 20-25 article adjustment law might be brought to Parliament.
He also highlighted that the ratification process for the adjustment laws might continue until May.
The AK Party, aiming to pass some of the laws and exchanging opinions with Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) before Parliament's recess in mid-Summer, has founded five subcommittees for the public-personnel regime, Parliament's bylaws, the reconstruction of local administrations and the election system. An upper committee was also formed.
In relation to becoming candidate for elections, Yazıcı said: "According to the predominant opinion in the committees, it is not considered right for a person to become a candidate for both the presidential and deputy elections, which will be held on the same day. We will clarify the issue in upcoming days."
The ministers, who are part of the government formed under the presidency, will not be deputies according to the new system.
According to the draft prepared by the committees, some ministries will be abolished and new ministries in line with today's demands will be established. An inspection board will be formed within the body of presidency. In laws, in place of the term "government," the term "executive" will be used.
In the new system, the appointing criteria for top level executive positions will be changed. The obstacles for those working in the private sectors to become high-level bureaucrats in public posts will be lifted.
The presidential system was approved as a result of a referendum held on April 16, 2017. Turkey will be ruled by a presidential governing system as of 2019, which necessitated making a series of legal regulations in accordance with the approved new system. The draft will also be presented to the MHP following Erdoğan's approval. Meanwhile, the upper committee convened for the last time yesterday prior to presenting the draft to Erdoğan, and the heads of the subcommittees provided information about the prepared drafts.
Touching on the implications of the AK Party-MHP alliance for local elections, Yazıcı said he does not expect that there will be common candidate, adding that some cooperative steps might be taken.
The AK Party and the MHP formed an alliance for the presidential elections as MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli announced that he will support Erdoğan in the elections.
Yazıcı also commented on the possibility of an individual becoming a presidential candidate by collecting 100,000 signatures, saying that committee discussions about procedures are still ongoing.