Charter shift to give president extraordinary authority over parliament: CHP head Kılıçdaroğlu

İstanbul, Mar 27 (DHA) – With the shift to an executive presidential system, supported by the government and due to be voted on in a referendum on April 16, the president will have the authority to annul parliament at his or her will, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has stressed.
“With the new system, the president can annul parliament without any justification,” Kılıçdaroğlu said at an event in the northwestern province of Bursa on March 27, adding that despite the denials of officials, the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) campaign leaflets include the related article.
The article included in the constitutional amendment states that the president will have the authority to go for re-election.
“If the President decides to renew elections, the general election of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and the presidential election will be held together,” the Article 116 states.
“If the Assembly decides to renew the elections in the second term of the Presidency, the President may once again be a candidate” it adds.
The AKP, however, argues that the article does not refer to an annulment but rather the authority to go for re-election, where the parliamentary and presidential election will be held at the same time and parliament will also have the authority to decide to hold a re-election with a 3/5 majority.
Kılıçdaroğlu slammed this denial, saying the amendment will pave the way for the president to be elected for a third term, beyond the constitutionally stipulated two-term limit.
“The authority to annul parliament was not even given to Atatürk in 1924. With this authority to annul parliament, there will be an opportunity for the president to be elected for a third time. That is the main objective,” he said.
“Is it right to mock people’s minds?” he added.
The CHP leader also stated that the amendment does not include any restriction on the number of vice presidents or their qualification.
“It is unknown how many vice presidents there will be. It is left totally down to the president’s will. The president can assign all the provincial heads of his or her party as vice presidents. The mind of one person is enough,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.
“The structure of the state and its operation is currently defined by parliament. Now, they say it will be defined by just one person. Is it right to give one person so much authority?” he added.