Main opposition CHP repeats call to lower 10 percent election threshold

ANKARA

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has reiterated his calls to lower the 10 percent election threshold for a more representative parliament and criticized the government’s attempts to make it harder for new political parties to have a chance in winning seats.

“The 10 percent election threshold is a blow against democracy. We want a total reflection of the people’s vote in parliament. Let’s lower the threshold to a more reasonable level; five percent or two percent,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in an interview with the private broadcaster Tele 1 TV late May 20.

Kılıçdaroğlu recalled that the 10 percent threshold is a remnant of the 1980 military rule in Turkey, slamming President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for not “removing this obstacle” in front of the Turkish democracy.

“We want to see that all the political parties are represented in parliament, even if they receive just one percent of the votes,” he said, suggesting a new quota to reserve seats for all the parties in accordance with their vote.

When asked about an earlier statement he made that the CHP could possibly transfer at least 20 lawmakers from each of the Future Party, led by former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, and the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), led by former Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, so that they can run in elections, Kılıçdaroğlu accused the government of trying to stop the newly established parties from entering parliament.

“They plotted against İYİ (Good) Party to prevent it from running in the elections but we foiled this plot,” he said, recalling that the CHP had transferred more than 20 lawmakers from İYİ Party before the June 2018 presidential and parliamentary elections.

“If they now try to nix the plans of the Future Party and the DEVA to enter parliament, we will feel the need to thwart this plot, too. We assume this as our responsibility in the name of democracy, conscience and ethics,” he said.

CHP mayors in support of state’s efforts

On a question about an ongoing rift between the CHP municipalities and the AKP government concerning aid campaigns launched by the former, Kılıçdaroğlu said main opposition mayors were lending support to the state’s efforts since the pandemic hit Turkey.

“Some 2,254 personnel of the CHP municipalities all across Turkey are now working under governors. Our municipalities have allocated 720 vehicles to the use of the governors,” he informed.