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First seven articles have passed in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) General Assembly in the second tour of the constitutional amendment draft.
The first article was approved with 345 votes against 140.
The second article was approved with 342 votes against 139.
The third article was approved with 342 votes against 137.
The fourth article was approved with 342 votes against 138.
The fifth article was approved with 342 yes votes against 140.
The sixth article was approved with 342 yes votes against 138.
The seventh article was approved with 340 yes votes against 138.
The content of the amendments
Article 1
The 1th article of the Constitutional Amendment Draft requires adding the word "unbiased" after the word "independent", to Article 9 of the Constitution.
Article 2
The 2nd Article of the draft which requires an amendment of Article 75 of the Constitution raises the number of deputies from 550 to 600.
Article 3
The 3th article of the draft regulates an amendment in Article 76 of the Constitution and lowers the minimum age required to be a deputy from 25 to 18 and changes the expression "those who have not yet completed their military service" to those who still are potentially engaged in military service".
Article 4
The 4th article of the amendment draft requires that the parliamentary and presidential elections be held every five years on the same day.
Article 5
The 5th article of the amendment draft lifts the power of the parliament to monitor the cabinet and the ministers and to entitle the cabinet to issue statutory decrees.
Article 6
The 6th article of the draft, one of the most disputed articles in the draft, provides an amendment in Article 98 of the Constitution regulating the power of Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) on monitoring the executive.
The article lifts the "motion non-confidence" from the Constitution which is the most effective tool of the Parliament for monitoring the executive.
Article 7
The 7th article of the amendment draft provides an amendment in Article 101 of the Constitution regulating the qualifications and the impartiality of the President and lifts the requirement on the impartiality of the President. (EKN/TK)
