Erhürman signs law scrapping mandatory primaries for parliamentary candidates

President Tufan Erhürman has said he signed the Political Parties (Amendment) Law, which removes the mandatory primary election requirement for selecting parliamentary candidates, even though he considers it problematic for intra-party democracy. The amendment also scraps the exceptional provision allowing candidates to be chosen by the party assembly. Under the new rules, parties may select candidates under Supreme Election Council oversight, provided they follow democratic principles and the methods set out in their own statutes.

Erhürman noted that election restrictions are now in force and that the law reached him yesterday, adding: "I signed it, though I am not at all comfortable with it." He said he did not return the law to parliament because doing so would affect party preparations and waste time. He urged parties that will not hold primaries to at least choose candidates by a vote in their party assembly, even though the law does not require it.

Regardless of election results, he said such hasty changes to electoral laws will not be made just before any future election.