Parties start to get applications for parliament race

ANKARA

With nearly two months to go to the polls, the political parties have started to receive applications for those who want to run for the 600-seat parliament.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) have established commissions within the party as they started to get the application from potential members of the parliament on March 13.

“The deadline for the applications is 9 p.m. on March 16,” Deputy AKP leader Ali İhsan Yavuz told the reporters during a press conference.

The applicants will have to donate to the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) to complete their applications, he said, informing adults will have to donate 20,000 Liras, women and youngsters 10,000 Liras and disabled 5,000 Liras.

The applications will be online and it will save up to three tons of paper, the AKP official said. “We receive a letter of commitment, dubbed the Member of Parliament Commitment, from each applicant. It is a six-article commitment letter,” he informed.

In the meantime, Yavuz said the AKP is continuing its talks with some political parties that want to be part of the People’s Alliance comprising the AKP, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Great Union Party (BBP). He said talks with the Free Cause Party (Hüda-Par) and New Welfare Party (YRP) are taking place and there seems to be no big problem with including them in the People Alliance.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is the chairman of the AKP, had a meeting with Mustafa Destici of the BBP on March 13.

The CHP also started to receive applications. The party’s assembly has given full authority to CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to choose candidates for the parliament at a meeting late on March 12. He convened the central decision-making body (MYK) of the CHP on March 13 to further discuss the election strategy.

In the meantime, the Supreme Election Board (YSK) said the election calendar will officially begin on March 18 for the elections to be held on May 14.