The opposition parties represented in Parliament before the June 7 general elections were in disarray. But then that did not mean much simply because even if they ganged up together they could not impose their will on the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). After the June 7 elections, however, the picture seemed to change. The opposition parties together now have more seats than the AK Party and thus could make an impact. The AK Party only won 258 seats in Parliament, 18 seats short of a majority, so while it remains the most formidable political force in Parliament the united seats of the opposition can easily defeat it in parliamentary votes and actions. However, this is easier said than done.

The opposition parties, especially the ultra-conservative Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party (HDP) have displayed open enmity toward each other, which has made any form of cooperation or united action impossible. So any grand coalition between these parties along with the left-wing Republican People's Party (CHP) is out of the question let alone them cooperating on important issues like the election of the speaker of Parliament. The election of the speaker of Parliament was the real test for the three parties, and they failed badly. The CHP could have supported the MHP candidate, Ekmelleddin İhsanoğlu, who was the joint candidate of the two parties in the presidential election, but failed badly. Meanwhile, the MHP did not vote for the CHP candidate, Deniz Baykal, in the fourth round of balloting because the HDP openly declared it would back Baykal. The MHP felt it would not even be seen cooperating with "the Kurds" on such issues.

So the disarray in the opposition ranks to the AK Party are in an even greater disarray than before the June elections.

The CHP has shown it remains the same old incompetent left-wing party of old and has not managed to rise up to the occasion to offer a meaningful alternative to lead a government against the AK Party. However, the CHP continues to make rather strange claims. Its spokesmen say President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is stalling the formation of a government. This is not true. Parliament has not even established its speakership council, so Erdoğan's hands a tied because he cannot ask any person in Parliament to set up a new government before this crucial procedure is completed. The clock with a 45-day deadline when the Parliament speakership council is formed. So Erdoğan is just following the legal procedures and there is not much he can do.

The CHP has also accused the AK Party of playing for time and creating a situation where new elections will be inevitable. The CHP has said the AK Party has been stalling and blocking the establishment of a government for the past month. This is ridiculous. There is a timetable for the procedures to be completed and that time table has been followed with great care until now. The deputies took their oaths, the speaker was elected and time went by. Parliament elected its speaker only last Wednesday.

All this shows one thing: The CHP, MHP and HDP are not up to a serious opposition duty and the formation of any coalition seems to be an impossible mission with such a mentality. New elections loom on the horizon if the MHP, CHP and HDP do not start getting their acts together quickly.