The Turkish Parliament has provided the Cabinet with the power to pass necessary laws and decrees with the force of law to prepare the country for the introduction of a presidential system of governance in advance of snap elections on June 24, the Cumhuriyet daily reported.
During the adjustment period, the Cabinet will be authorized to reorganize ministries and public institutions along with annulling laws and decrees that are no longer needed. The cabinet will also be responsible for hiring and firing top civil servants as deemed necessary.
The bill was proposed in Parliament at midnight on on May 8 and debated in the Planning and Budget Commission on May 9. One day later, it was put to a vote and quickly passed. Since the bill involves matters regarding the constitution, some opposition deputies objected to the fact that it was discussed in the Planning and Budget Commission and argued it should have gone to the Constitution Commission.
Republican People’s Party spokesman Bülent Tezcan issued a statement on Friday saying that his party would take the matter to the Constitutional Court in order to cancel the power given to the Cabinet.
Critics are also concerned about the Cabinet exceeding its powers as it was the case in government decrees issued after a military coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
(Turkish Minute with Ahval)