Turkish Parliament Votes to Hold Early Elections

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 01, 2002

Turkish Parliament Votes to Hold Early Elections

Turkey's parliament voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to hold early general elections in November, cutting short the tenure of ailing premier Bulent Ecevit's troubled government by nearly 18 months.

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Turkey's parliament voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to hold early general elections in November, cutting short the tenure of ailing premier Bulent Ecevit's troubled government by nearly 18 months.

In an emergency session, parliament voted 449 to 62 in favor of a proposal brought by nationalists in Ecevit's coalition government for elections on Nov. 3. The move passed despite the opposition of Ecevit, whose party apparently was the only one to vote as a bloc against early polls.

Ecevit has warned that elections could hurt Turkey's efforts to join the European Union, damage the fragile economy and possibly bring an Islamic party to power. He has also warned against elections when a U.S.-led military action against neighboring Iraq could be looming.

But in the debate that preceded Wednesday's vote, opposition parties insisted an early election was essential to remove a government blamed for a deep economic crisis that has caused mass layoffs and bankruptcies.

Ecevit's coalition partners, as well as opposition parties, have said early polls will end political deadlock sparked by Ecevit's ill health and his coalition allies' constant bickering over EU-oriented reforms, which are opposed by the coalition's nationalist wing.

Most parties in parliament have little faith that the ailing 77-year-old premier can hold his coalition together. Almost half of Ecevit's party has deserted him, showing no confidence in his ability to govern as he battles a series of illnesses.

The emergency session of parliament is also scheduled to discuss reforms designed to steer Turkey closer to its long-term goal of EU membership.

Parliament committees were debating measures Wednesday to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment and to legalize Kurdish-language broadcasts and education.

Source: Agencies

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