ALMOST 2/3 OF TURKS OPPOSE ERDOGAN’S ELECTION AS PRESIDENT OF COUNTRY
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.04.2007 16:05 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ While in Turkey approaches the presidential marathon,
the start of which is scheduled for April 16 and which will decide
who will become the new head of the country with a 7-year term, grows
on the political tension. On the eve of elections local NGOs on April
14 are planing to hold a rally in Ankara in support for democracy. In
its turn opposition threatens by turning to the Constitutional Court
if during the first stage of presidential elections a constitutional
majority is not formed in the parliament, where the voting will
be held.
During the first two stages of elections at least 367 MPs of
550-member parliament must be present, which makes the constitutional
majority. Otherwise the voting will be declared invalid. The ruling
Justice and Development party has 354 mandates, that’s why it cannot
independently form a constitutional representation in the legislative
body. The National Republican Party has 153, right-central Party of
Homeland – 19 mandates. Also there are 10 independent and 7 MPs from
other parties in the Turkish Majlis.
Besides there are 7 vacant seats in the parliament and Speaker
Bulent Arinc, who is from the ruling party, does not participate in
the voting.
Latest polls show that almost two-third of Turkish citizens are against
Erdogan’s election as the president of the country. 71.2 percent
said they are sure Erdogan must not nominate for the presidential
post. Only 23.6 percent of respondents supported the Prime Minister,
Cumhuriyet newspaper informs analyzing the results of a poll conducting
by Sonar among 1 659 people in 14 large provinces of Turkey, RIA
"Novosti" reports.
Turkey will elect his 11th president in April. Only twice Turkish
MPs have been able to elect the next president unanimously, when
the founder of modern Turkish State Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his
successor Ismet Inonu headed the country. Most often presidents have
been elected during the third stage. The last three presidents Turgut
Ozal, Suleyman Demirel and Ahmed Necdet Sezer, whose term will be
over in a few months, have been elected exactly this way.