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Turkish govt. backs popular vote

ANKARA, Turkey (Reuters) -- Turkey's parliament gave initial approval on Monday to a major constitutional amendment to make the presidency a popularly elected post, a move that could rekindle tension between the government and secularists.
The Islamist-rooted ruling AK Party moved the reforms after secularist opposition parties boycotted a parliamentary vote and prevented Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul becoming president. The secularist establishment fears AK seeks the presidency to press a secret Islamist agenda, a charge the government denies.
State-run Anatolian news agency said 356 deputies out of 550 members voted for the reform, part of a package which must be debated and approved a second time before it can be sent to President Ahmet Necdet Sezer for him to sign it into law.
Gul withdrew his candidacy for the presidency on Sunday after pressure from the opposition, army, courts and protesters, and the government called early elections for July.
Many expect staunch secularist Sezer or the courts to block the proposals for direct elections to the presidency, a largely ceremonial position that does however carry some veto powers.
AK says the reforms aim to make Turkey more democratic, but critics say they have not been properly thought through and could upset the checks and balances in the constitution.
Only a handful of opposition MPs voted for the package despite backing last week from the smaller ANAP party.
"Whether it is a president elected through parliament or a popular vote you can't do this hastily. There needs to be a period of contemplation so that we don't have to change the system soon again," said Dogu Ergil of Ankara University.
AK, which has a big majority in parliament with just over 350 seats, says it has long prepared for such a constitutional change. AK only made public its reform package a few days ago.
Gul's bid revealed a deep divide over the future direction of Turkey, which has a strongly secular constitution but a predominantly Muslim population.
Parliament currently elects presidents for a single 7-year term, which the reform would change to a renewable five year period. The post was first held by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey who rebuilt the country on the ashes of the Ottoman Empire and separated state and religion.
AK, itself a coalition of centrist, nationalist and religious currents, says it adheres strictly to secularist ideas and has championed economic and liberal political reforms since sweeping to power amid a deep financial crisis in 2002. In 2005 it secured European Union accession talks status.
The army, which along with the judiciary and universities make up the core of the secular elite, has issued a public reminder it is the ultimate defender of the secular state.
The army has removed four civilian governments in 50 years.
AK is poised to win the next general election, polls say, but the party might struggle to gain the huge overall majority it achieved in the 2002 elections.
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posted by mhai @ 9:50 AM