‘AKP-MHP alliance changes the election law according to its own needs’

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Foreign Affairs Spokespersons Hişyar Özsoy and Feleknas Uca released a written statement about the recent amendments to Turkey's Election Law yesterday (April 4).

The General Assembly of the Parliament, in a vote on March 31, has accepted the amendment to the Law on Elections and Political Parties in line with the legislative proposal of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

In its statement titled "AKP-MHP alliance changes the election law according to its own needs," the HDP Foreign Affairs Commission has said:

"The AKP-MHP governing alliance has begun to lose support. This is due to fundamental problems such as the economic crisis, the destruction of democratic politics, and utter disregard of justice.

"As a response to its declining popular support and legitimacy, and just one year before the presidential and parliamentary elections, the AKP-MHP alliance has passed new electoral law amendments in the Turkish parliament, bringing in regulations calculated to keep them in power".

Noting that the amendments will come into effect next year, the HDP Foreign Affairs Commission has argued that the approved electoral law amendments will "manipulate the election in favor of the AKP-MHP".

Sharing details about the amendments to the Election Law, the HDP has briefly stated the following about the issue:

'Even the previous law was restrictive'

"Concerning the nationwide electoral threshold, lowering it to 7 percent is not a substantial change. It still eliminates the opportunity for representation for many political parties.

"Distributing the parliamentary seats by the D'Hondt method has been chosen for the benefit of the AKP-MHP alliance.

"It takes alliances out of the equation so as to distribute seats directly in proportion to the parties, which would provide an advantage to the AKP-MHP's Cumhur (People's) alliance at the expense of the smaller parties within the [opposition] Millet (Nation's) Alliance.

Regarding the restrictions on the requirements for a political party to enter an election, it should be underlined that even the previous law on political parties restricted the freedom of association of political parties and interfered with the organizational form and method of the parties. With this new regulation, the government aims to make it more difficult for political parties to participate in the elections.

Emphasis on 'ballot box safety'

"As for the election of judges in election boards, it has been clear in previous elections that provincial-district election boards have carried out significant irregularities during the election processes. The amendment will make it more likely for judges who were appointed by the ruling party in recent years to oversee appeals cases. Thus, provincial and district election boards will be more dependent on the government.

"Concerning the amendments on determining election councils, these create another obstacle for political parties organizing ballot box security.

"Already, political parties could not register a citizen as a ballot box officer without her/his knowledge and consent.

With this new amendment, the government not only tries to prevent parties with relatively weak organizations from participating in the elections, it also wants to prevent the parties that do have the right to participate from organizing ballot box security.

'An obstacle to fair elections, violation of law'

"As to the amendments on election bans on 'Prime Ministers and Ministers', as we have previously mentioned, there will be no restriction on the president's activities during election campaigns. Thus, the president will be able to use all state opportunities from the start of the election campaign to the day following the election. However, ministers, deputies, and heads of other political parties will be subjected to bans. This is an obstacle to a fair election and a violation of constitutional and universal law.

It is obvious that the AKP-MHP alliance changes the election law according to its own needs. These changes will not bring a democratic and fair election. Rather, they will block the representation of various social dynamics in parliament and further undermine the will of voters as reflected in the ballot boxes.

(SD)