PM slams opposition over board of judges, prosecutors commission boycott
ANKARA
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Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has urged opposition leaders to participate in a parliamentary process to appoint seven members of the Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), as the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) announced they would boycott the procedure.“I am calling the leaders to participate in the procedure in parliament. The lawmakers have been elected to conduct the duties that are necessary for the public. They were elected for that. Boycotting is something we have done in our university years. Those years have long gone. Lawmakers should fulfill their duties in responsibility and the party leaders should allow them to do that,” Yıldırım said at a press conference ahead of his visit to Moldova on May 5.
His comments came after the CHP and the HDP announced that they will not attend the parliamentary commission set to assess and choose seven out of 83 candidates for positions in the HSK.
After the constitutional amendment was approved on April 16, the name of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) was changed to the Board of Judges and Prosecutors, as well as its configuration was dropped to 13 members from 22.
As the seven HSK members are set to be determined by parliamentary vote, its parliamentary process commenced on May 4.
The commission will assess among 83 candidates to be members of the board, and it will refer 21 names to parliament for voting.
HDP, CHP boycott commission
CHP deputy leader Bülent Tezcan said the CHP will not contribute to the process on grounds that a majority of the candidates are affiliated to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“Most of the applications have connections to the AKP. We will not contribute to steps that will form an illegitimate judiciary,” Tezcan told daily Hürriyet on May 4.
“Some 90 percent of the 1341 lawyers who passed the examination to be a judge are affiliated to the AKP,” CHP lawmaker Barış Yarkadaş said at a press conference on May 3, listing the names.
HDP, on the other hand, is boycotting the parliamentary commission on grounds that participating in the process would mean “acknowledging the illegitimate referendum.”
“We will not act like there was no illegitimate referendum. We will not take any steps that could legitimize this process,” HDP deputy Mithat Sancar said.
‘Accept principles of democracy’
But Yıldırım criticized the opposition’s concerns. “To say ‘I am out’ in a place where people’s needs should be dealt with is disrespectful to the people who gave their representation to them,” he said.
“Our call is to make all kinds of regulations in accordance with the new system to be implemented by the 2019 elections, with the participation of all parties in parliament, in a comprehensive way by speaking,” Yıldırım said.
“We have already made calls for it; we repeat, boycotting participation will be useless,” he said.
His comments came after the CHP and the HDP announced that they will not attend the parliamentary commission set to assess and choose seven out of 83 candidates for positions in the HSK.
After the constitutional amendment was approved on April 16, the name of the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) was changed to the Board of Judges and Prosecutors, as well as its configuration was dropped to 13 members from 22.
As the seven HSK members are set to be determined by parliamentary vote, its parliamentary process commenced on May 4.
The commission will assess among 83 candidates to be members of the board, and it will refer 21 names to parliament for voting.
HDP, CHP boycott commission
CHP deputy leader Bülent Tezcan said the CHP will not contribute to the process on grounds that a majority of the candidates are affiliated to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“Most of the applications have connections to the AKP. We will not contribute to steps that will form an illegitimate judiciary,” Tezcan told daily Hürriyet on May 4.
“Some 90 percent of the 1341 lawyers who passed the examination to be a judge are affiliated to the AKP,” CHP lawmaker Barış Yarkadaş said at a press conference on May 3, listing the names.
HDP, on the other hand, is boycotting the parliamentary commission on grounds that participating in the process would mean “acknowledging the illegitimate referendum.”
“We will not act like there was no illegitimate referendum. We will not take any steps that could legitimize this process,” HDP deputy Mithat Sancar said.
‘Accept principles of democracy’
But Yıldırım criticized the opposition’s concerns. “To say ‘I am out’ in a place where people’s needs should be dealt with is disrespectful to the people who gave their representation to them,” he said.
“Our call is to make all kinds of regulations in accordance with the new system to be implemented by the 2019 elections, with the participation of all parties in parliament, in a comprehensive way by speaking,” Yıldırım said.
“We have already made calls for it; we repeat, boycotting participation will be useless,” he said.