AKP, MHP present bill to reduce election threshold to 7 percent

Turkey's ruling AKP and its nationalist ally MHP have submitted a draft election law to parliament that seeks to reduce the current 10 percent election threshold to 7 percent. The bill is likely to become law given the ruling alliance's majority.

Monday March 14 2022 12:43 pm

Duvar English

Following months-long deliberation, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and its alliance partner, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), on March 14 submitted an amendment for the Election and Political Parties Law to parliament.

The draft law seeks to reduce the current 10 percent election threshold to 7 percent. It was announced to the public during a press conference held by AKP deputy chair Hayati Yazıcı and MHP vice chair Feti Yıldız.

According to the draft law, political parties will no longer be required to form parliamentary groups to be able to run in elections. With this change, the government aims to halt the transfer of lawmakers between parties. Also, parties will be asked to complete their organization works in 41 provinces at least six months before the elections take place.

The bill is likely to become law given the ruling alliance's majority. It would take effect about a year later, suggesting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - whose opinion polls have touched their lowest in years - could hold off calling an early election.

Presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for no later than June 2023.

Some analysts have said Erdoğan might want an earlier vote to avoid sliding any further in polls, despite economic turmoil and soaring inflation caused by his push for low interest rates late last year and, more recently, the conflict in Ukraine.