Pm Gives First Signals In Favour Of Lowering The Election Threshold

- Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu gave a speech regarding the election threshold of 10 percent, on a live interview with national broadcaster NTV, amid coalition talks.

“We will propose bringing down the election threshold in the presence of government protocol” said Davutoglu approving the recent attempts of CHP
“At a government coalition talk we will presumably propose a reduction of the 10 percent threshold. During the term of prime ministry of dear Mr President, we had also offered to demolish the threshold in a narrow sense. One of the responsibilities that I have given to our friends in the law commission targets these sorts of changes in the electoral law” said Davutoglu.

The HDP previously has given a legislative proposal, pushing the abolishment of the national election treshold, to the Grand National Assembly. The justification of the legislative proposal notes that the 10 percent election treshold hinders certain social groups’ presence in the parliament, blocking the way to their economic, political and cultural representation, and voters’ right to show their political will to the public.

A statement released by the HDP denotes that the current restriction presents the highest election treshold comparing to European countries that are still implementing a proportional representation based electoral system, having a national barrier ranging from one to five percent at the highest.

The HDP has secured seates by passing the election threshold of 10 percent in the June 7 elections and has blocked the way securing the ruling party AKP (Juctice and Development Party) a majority to form the government.

CHP Istanbul Deputy Akif Hamzaçebi had also given a bill that scales down the election treshold to five percent, to the Grand National Assembly.