MHP announces draft constitution

Photo: AA

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The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) completed a 100-article draft constitution, its chair Devlet Bahçeli announced yesterday (May 4).

"Constitutional debates, which almost have 145 years of history, have put an embargo on our state and social life," Bahçeli said at a press conference at his party's headquarters. "Constitutions, which are based on mutual responsibilities between the state and the nation, are not unchangeable texts. Writing of a constitution is an inevitable duty."

The MHP's draft constitution foresees a presidential system and the election of two vice presidents with the president, Bahçeli noted.

President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan started a public debate about the issue in February, saying that the country needs a new constitution.

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AKP Parliamentary Group Chair Naci Bostancı said yesterday that they welcomed Bahçeli's proposal and that the AKP was also working on a draft constitution.

Turkey's current constitution was written by the military government that came to power after the 1980 coup and came into force after a referendum in 1982. More than half of its articles have been amended since then.

Bahçeli said the current constitution has lost its linguistic consistency, which he said is a very important thing. "There is an irregularity between words and concepts."

The MHP's draft constitution preserves the "irrevocable" first four articles of the current constitution, which define the republic's characteristics, language, integrity, flag, national anthem and the capital, said Bahçeli.

"While writing the articles of our recommendation text, subject integrity has been meticulously provided. In our constitutional proposal, each subject is arranged in a single article," he remarked. "Some repeated issues in the articles were made common provisions and a new repetition was prevented."

The draft constitution comprising four parts and 100 articles would be first shared with the AKP and then with other parties, he added.

"The reasons for restrictions in all articles regulating rights have been removed," he said. "In the third part of the constitution, legislation, executive power and the judiciary have been regulated in three sections."

Bahçeli also noted that the Constitutional Court was given a special status in the draft constitution and cases for party closures would be heard by a newly established grand chamber.

The parliament's authority on the election of judicial officials would be expanded, he added.

(AS/VK)