End is near for Constitution Conciliation Commission
ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News
Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek has called on members of Parliament's Constitution Conciliation Commission to hold what is widely expected to be a final meeting on April 30. AA photo
The work of Parliament's Constitution Conciliation Commission is approaching its end, with Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek calling April 25 the members of the Commission to hold what is widely expected to be a final meeting on April 30.The prevailing opinion at the Commission is in favor of preparing a draft text indicating the propositions of all four parties in Parliament, in which the consensual articles will figure in green while the articles that cause disagreements will figure in red.
Çiçek will also meet party leaders for one last round with this final draft, but these talks are unlikely to bring substantial changes. The end of April was the deadline given by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the Commission.
“The table does not bring results anymore. Uncertainty prevails at this table. It is turning into a place where parties prepare tactics and strategies. This is unacceptable,” main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Konya deputy Atilla Kart said during the April 26 meeting of the sub-commission responsible for writing the draft articles. The meeting was chaired by ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Ahmet İyimaya.
Kart added that the uncertainty about the possible adoption of a presidential system, as designed by Erdoğan, was a source of concern. “[Peace and Democracy Party co-chair] Selahattin Demirtaş is the latest to object [to the presidential system]. Now that three parties are against, their [the AKP’s] insistence is unacceptable. If the uncertainty on this subject dissipates, the number of agreements will increase, particularly on fundamental rights and other chapters. The prime minister has to come to a decision and made it public,” he said. Kart also noted that according to same claims, the AKP was intending to transfer deputies so as to reach 330 votes at an eventual voting session, which would enable them to bypass all opposition parties in a referendum.
