AKP’s swap proposal insincere: Opposition

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

The government wants to resign from the charter-making process, but they are looking for an excuse, the CHP’s Haluk Koç says. AA photo

Opposition parties reacted against Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy chairman Mehmet Ali Şahin’s recent proposal of passing 48 amendments to the Constitution immediately in Parliament and making adjustments to relevant articles to facilitate the release of arrested lawmakers.

Speaking in a televised interview late July 16, Şahin said a change to the 14th clause of the charter, within amendments that the Constitutional Conciliation Commission of Parliament had already agreed on, could resolve the problem of jailed deputies. However, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) accused the government of being insincere. The CHP’s Haluk Koç recalled a previous proposal of legislation by the opposition party to release arrested deputies that had been rejected by the ruling AKP.

The government wants to resign from the charter-making process, but they are looking for an excuse, Koç said. “If they are sincere, let’s end the 10 percent election threshold,” said Koç.

The proposal also has drawn ire from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). BDP deputy chairman İdris Baluken said the situation of jailed deputies should not be part of a bargain.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) deputy Özcan Yeniçeri said Şahin’s approach was a “bribe.” “The government wants to buy opposition parties to bring them to Parliament [in order to ratify amendments],” Yeniçeri told reporters yesterday.