End ‘discord’ in system of governance, parliamentary speaker says

ANKARA

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Turkey’s newly elected parliament speaker has waded into an ongoing debate over a possible transition to a presidential system, underlining the need for consensus in any kind of change to the country’s governance system as well as the need to eliminate “discord” in governance.

“The presidential system, a semi-presidential system or a parliamentary system; it should eliminate discord. Today if the ruling party and the president are not on the same page, then Turkey will face a lot of troubles and stability will be disrupted. For stability, the will should not be divided,” Parliamentary Speaker İsmail Kahraman said in an interview with state-run Anadolu Agency in his first interview since being elected to his current post on Nov. 22.

A total of 113 provisions out of 177 have been changed in the current constitution from 1982, he said, stressing that the charter had not kept up with the times.  

The constitution should not be like a medical prospectus, a text of legislations or be so directive, Kahraman said, adding that a charter should have fewer clauses.

The parliamentary speaker also underlined the necessity of changing parliamentary bylaws, the electoral law and the parliamentary election law. 

He cited an amendment to legislation in Italy enabling a political party that scores in excess of 40 percent in elections to form a single-party government. The amendment in Italy also lifted motions for censure, subversion and investigation, he added.