Nationalist leader rejects CHP chair’s call for early election

ANKARA

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) is determined for holding the general elections on its scheduled date in June 2023, chair of the party Devlet Bahçeli said on Oct. 13 in response to the main opposition party’s call for an early election.

Speaking in his party’s parliamentary group meeting, Bahçeli accused the CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of serving for some other circles as he made a call for snap elections. “CHP chairman’s election request is also an order, but also delusional,” he said.

“Everything has a due time. You shall learn to wait,” Bahçeli said addressing the CHP leader.

He reiterated that MHP’s candidate for presidential elections in 2023 would be President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

On Oct. 9, Kılıçdaroğlu called on the MHP leader for asking early elections because “the country is not well managed.”

“Salvation of this country lies in an early election as soon as possible. I tell this to who? I’m telling Mr. Bahçeli. If you love this country, tell tomorrow morning that ‘Enough is enough,’ and run Turkey for snap elections,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, speaking at KRT broadcaster.

Elaborating on the early election debate CHP’s Spokesperson Faik Öztrak on Oct. 12 said: “Our nation is despaired of this government and is waiting for the ballot box as soon as possible to change the government. We also express the voice of our nation.”

Meanwhile, a decision of early elections by the parliament is “very very difficult” according to the new system, Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop said on Oct. 13.

In the previous system, a qualified majority was not sought in the parliament, thus a decision of early elections could be taken in previous years, he stated.

“I think not just the one in 2023, but the elections will always be on time. With the change in the government system, it has been made difficult to hold early elections,” he told reporters.

One of the most important reasons for the change in the government system was to eliminate early elections, Şentop said, adding that the new administration system deliberately made snap polls more difficult.