Parliamentary Committee on Constitution passes election bill

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After 17 hours of negotiations, the Parliamentary Committee on Constitution has passed the election bill including significant changes in the country's electoral system.

The bill was approved with the votes of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) members of the committee.

"The Law Proposal on Amendments to the Law on Election of the Members of Parliament and Some Laws" includes the reduction of the election threshold from 10 to 7 percent, exemption of the president from election silence, and changes in the calculation method for the distribution of deputies to the parties.

The opposition parties have accused the AKP-MHP alliance of amending the law to their advantage to keep a parliamentary majority in the face of their declining popular support. 

The government says the new law will bring fairer representation and prevent smaller parties from having disproportionate influence. 

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(TP/VK)