ANKARA
Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said Monday that the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party has been working on amends to the country's electoral system including narrowed districts and single member district electoral systems.
Arinc, speaking following a Cabinet meeting Monday, said the AK Party would choose between the two options.
The democratization package, referring to the amendment of several laws, released by the AK Party September 2013 proposed three reform options for Turkey's electoral system.
These included maintaining the 10 percent threshold, reducing it to 5 percent, or removing the threshold altogether and fully implementing the single-member district system.
Noting that opposition parties who had complained about the 10 percent threshold did not make any comment or take any steps regarding the proposed options, Arinc said that the AK Party was "working on simulations of two options and will take to the parliament the one which would contribute better to the development and stability of Turkey."
Meanwhile, asked whether the AK Party government would allow unions to hold rallies at Istanbul's Taksim Square on Workers Day, May 1, Arinc said that the government would only allow a limited number of representatives from unions to place wreaths or make press statements in the square on the day, adding that some unions were "attempting to provoke violence" with their planned protests.
Two other squares instead of Taksim Square have been allocated by the Istanbul governorate for Workers Day celebration rallies Arinc pointed out.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
