Turk oppn parties urge snap general election

Ankara, Apr 26: Two small Turkish opposition parties urged the ruling AK Party today to postpone a planned presidential election and call an early general election instead, in the latest sign of increasing political tensions.

The move casts further doubt on whether the government can persuade enough lawmakers to attend the first round of voting of the presidential election in parliament set for Friday.

The AK Party has nominated Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, a former Islamist, as its presidential candidate. Turkey's secular elite is worried that the AK Party, which has a big parliamentary majority, wants to increase the role of religion.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has already vowed to boycott Friday's vote because the AK Party failed to consult them over the choice of Gul.

It has threatened to ask the Constitutional Court to rule the election invalid if fewer than two thirds of the 550 lawmakers are in the chamber at the time of the vote. The AK Party needs the support of the small parties to avert this risk.

The opposition ANAP and True Path Party said they wanted the country's next president to be elected by a fresh parliament, not the current one.

General elections are due to be held in November.

Under the constitution, a presidential election must be held in the coming weeks as incumbent Ahmet Necdet Sezer's seven-year term expires on May 16. There is no precedent in modern Turkey for postponing a presidential election.

Reuters
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