News

With less than two weeks remaining for parliamentary elections set for July 27, the campaign headquarters of nearly 400 registered candidates are still deserted by voters while it was noticed that a notable number of candidates decided against setting up a main center for their campaigns. In this regard, observers said that the unusual lack of voter interest is most likely connected to the fact that this year’s elections are held during the summer and coincide with Ramadan, noting that people are mostly busy with visits that are likely to go on until the tenth day of the holy month.

Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçekannounced last week after meeting with political party leaders that the four-party Constitution Conciliation Commission will continue to work on writing a new Constitution. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had earlier said his ruling party would go ahead with his own proposal if the commission fails to agree, offered to approve the 48 articles all parties have agreed on so far. Now I have information that goes beyond Erdoğan’s offer.

The National Congress failed to reach an agreement on the draft electoral law that will guide elections of the Constitutional Assembly for Libya at its most recent session on Monday, July 8.

PM Erdoğan’s call for the legislative passage of agreed-upon charter articles splits the opposition down the middle, with the CHP expressing wariness

The opposition front has delivered conflicted responses to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s call for immediately submitting to Parliament all 48 articles on which the Constitution Conciliation Commission has reached agreement.

The cabinet established in its regular meeting last Tuesday a committee to review what has been carried out of the 20 and 11 points, plus preparing a matrix for executive procedures.
The committee consists of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Interior, Finance, Planning, International Cooperation, the Local Administration and Legal Affairs, Civil Service, Human Rights Ministers plus the Minister of State Hassan Ahmed Sharaf al-Din.

Politicians in support of a proposed amendment that would loosen regulations on nominating presidential candidates say the recent decision to put the talks on hold will be detrimental to next year’s election.

The prosecutor’s office issued arrest warrants on Wednesday for Mohamed Badie, the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, and nine other high-level Islamist leaders, on charges of inciting violence.

The arrest warrants are part of ongoing investigations into the Monday clashes in front of the Republican Guards headquarters that took the lives of at least 51, and wounded over 435 pro-Morsi demonstrators.

Parliamentary Speaker Çiçek, who begins another round of visits with political parties today, voices sorrow over the fact that the two-year efforts to complete the new charter have yet to bear fruit.