AK Party may offer 3 suggestions for new electoral system in new session


The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) may propose three plans for a new electoral system, party spokesman Mahir Ünal said Thursday.

Reminding of the AK Party's three previous suggestions for a new electoral system, Ünal said that discussion on adjustment laws and the electoral system will be on Parliament's agenda.

Previously in 2012, the AK Party presented three suggestions on the electoral system that included ideas like a single member district, narrowed district system and revising the current system to discuss with the opposition.

The party spokesman said that these suggestions were not supported at the time but can now be re-evaluated and reviewed in detail.

As Parliament prepares for its next session on Oct. 1, Ünal said that the bylaws and adjustment laws will top its agenda. He added that the adjustment laws were expected to be discussed right after the budget talks.

"Once discussion on adjustment laws are over, electoral, and political parties' laws will take the agenda," he said in a televised interview.

He stated that the ongoing works on the adjustment laws need to be completed before the March 2019 elections because of the one-year time restriction.

"When the commissions finalize their preparations, they will table proposals to the central executive board which would finally evaluate them," Ünal added.

He also welcomed public discussion on the issues.

Commenting on the stance taken by some political parties, he said that "the main opposition confuses the line between negotiation and dispute."

Stressing that the AK Party has not been insisting on its own thoughts, Ünal said that they were open to dialogue and ideas regarding the issue.

After the April 16 referendum opened doors to a presidential system, new adjustment laws and a new electoral system must be adopted.

Turkish Parliament has recently picked up the pace on adjustment laws, and parliamentary bylaws.

According to the new regulations, it has been suggested not to use the term "main opposition" in parliamentary bylaw and other laws. Instead, the parties will be defined as "first, second and third" according to their voting rates. As a result "main opposition" will be called the second party.

Another adjustment will allow each party to nominate only one candidate for the presidency. The candidate will be permitted to campaign along with their political parties.