Turks set to vote in crucial presidential and parliamentary polls

 Turkey’s presidential candidates have held their final rallies in advance of Sunday’s crucial double elections, which will see voters pick both an executive president with increased powers and the new members of the country’s parliament.

The snap polls will open at 8am (05:00 GMT) across Turkey and close at 5pm (14:00 GMT), in contrast to previous elections in which eastern provinces started voting one hour earlier.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday addressed several different rallies in Istanbul, urging people to get out and vote.

“The presidency requires experience,” said Erdogan, in power since 2003, as he attacked the opposition for lacking vision.

His main challenger, Muharrem Ince, also addressed supporters in Turkey’s largest city on the last day of campaigning.

“Tomorrow, we will have a completely different Turkey. Tomorrow, discrimination will come to an end,” said Ince, of the main opposition centre-left Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Constitutional changes

Overall, 56.39 million Turkish citizens are eligible to cast their ballots – 53.34 million in Turkey and 3.05 million abroad.

Voting at diplomatic missions outside the country ended on June 19, while ballot boxes at entry points to Turkey will remain open until the elections end.

The voting on Sunday will be the first time that presidential and parliamentary polls are held simultaneously, in line with the last year’s constitutional changes that will transform the country’s parliamentary system to an executive presidential one.

The changes will largely enter into force after the elections. They are set to hand the next president significant executive powers and will abolish the prime ministry as well as remove the monitoring role of parliament, among others.

The new system will allow the presidential office to appoint vice presidents, ministers, high-level officials and senior judges. The president will also be able to dissolve parliament, issue executive decrees, and impose a state of emergency.

Erdogan, who hopes to keep his seat with increased powers and secure a strong parliamentary majority, entered the race in the face of a depreciating lira and straining relations with the West.

Source: aljazeera.com