AK Party, MHP submit bid to hold elections earlier | Politics

Updating: 17:13, 27 September 2012 Thursday

AK Party, MHP submit bid to hold elections earlier

Any objection from the CHP now will fail to make a difference as the AK Party and MHP constitute the majority in Parliament.

World Bulletin / News Desk

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) submitted a proposal to Parliament on Thursday suggesting a change of date for the upcoming local elections.

The two political parties agreed to hold local elections next year on Oct. 27 and prepared an official proposal regarding the change of the date of the elections. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), on the other hand, preferred Nov. 3 of the same year. However, any objection from the CHP now will fail to make a difference as the AK Party and MHP constitute the majority in Parliament.

The local elections had been planned for March 29, 2014, but the AK Party said it wants to hold the local elections earlier because politicians have difficulty campaigning in winter due to adverse weather conditions.

Former leader of the Grand Unity Party (BBP) Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu died in a weather-related helicopter crash along with five others near Kahramanmaraş in 2009 while campaigning for local elections.

The last time Turkey held local elections was in March 2009. Local elections are held every five years in Turkey.