More than 50 pct support talks over draft constitution: report
According to a recently conducted survey by A&G consultancy, the public's support for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) is at 52.9 percent. The survey was announced after Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and opposition MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli said last week their parties had reached agreement on the proposed draft constitution to introduce a new presidential system aimed at more effective governance for the country's political stability.
As 90.6 percent of AK Party supporters welcomed the reconciliation between the two parties, the A&G survey also revealed an interesting result: 84.2 percent of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) voters also welcomed the settlement of the presidential system proposal; 45.7 percent of the participants expressed support for the presidential system compared to 37.4 percent back in June. When asked the reason for supporting the presidential system, 44.8 percent said it was due to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while 55.2 percent said they did not believe "the parliamentarian system was suitable for Turkey." The results indicate, "With the coup attempt [on July 15], trust and sympathy for President Erdoğan increased."
The presidential system proposal agreed upon by the AK Party and MHP should come to Parliament for a vote this week. However, according to the Constitution, constitutional changes can be directly passed only if approved by two-thirds of the deputies in Parliament, which corresponds to 367 of the 550 parliamentarians. Currently, the AK Party has 317 seats in Parliament, while the MHP has 40, meaning the two parties do not hold enough seats in Parliament to pass the proposal directly. In spite of this, if the proposal receives between 330 and 366 votes, the proposed constitutional change can be brought to a referendum.
As 90.6 percent of AK Party supporters welcomed the reconciliation between the two parties, the A&G survey also revealed an interesting result: 84.2 percent of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) voters also welcomed the settlement of the presidential system proposal; 45.7 percent of the participants expressed support for the presidential system compared to 37.4 percent back in June. When asked the reason for supporting the presidential system, 44.8 percent said it was due to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, while 55.2 percent said they did not believe "the parliamentarian system was suitable for Turkey." The results indicate, "With the coup attempt [on July 15], trust and sympathy for President Erdoğan increased."
The presidential system proposal agreed upon by the AK Party and MHP should come to Parliament for a vote this week. However, according to the Constitution, constitutional changes can be directly passed only if approved by two-thirds of the deputies in Parliament, which corresponds to 367 of the 550 parliamentarians. Currently, the AK Party has 317 seats in Parliament, while the MHP has 40, meaning the two parties do not hold enough seats in Parliament to pass the proposal directly. In spite of this, if the proposal receives between 330 and 366 votes, the proposed constitutional change can be brought to a referendum.