IYI Party Leader Meral Aksener announced her party’s proposal on the ‘improved and strengthened parliamentary system’ following Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Leader Devlet Bahceli’s announcement of the 100-item proposal in response to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s call for a new constitution.

“Our partners in the People’s Alliance, the MHP and the Great Union Party (BBP), continue this work,” said President Erdogan. “On the MHP side, I received the result of the work from the party leader. Our work has been completed and we’ll also submit it to them. We’ll gather and comprehensively evaluate all these texts and look for a way to convert them into a joint proposal.”

Eight principles

The new system proposal announced by IYI Party Leader Meral Aksener at the party’s group meeting consists of eight main titles, including impartial president, pluralist democracy, participatory management, an empowered parliament, checks and balances and robust oversight, the rule of law and an independent, impartial judiciary, merit-based appointments, human rights and individual freedom, powerful social government, powerful civil society, powerful youth’, and free press and media, fair and free elections.

Here are the details of IYI Party’s “improved and strengthened parliamentary system” proposal in brief:

President to be elected once for a 6-year term and may not be a party member

The Republic of Turkey will be governed by the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The President won’t be affiliated with any party. The Presidential post will represent the government and the unity of the nation in an impartial and nonpartisan manner. The President will hold office for one term only, which will be 6 years. The President will not be able return to active politics after his or her term ends.

Legislative power to be vested in the Parliament

Legislative regulations with a Presidential decree in the existing system will be terminated. The legislate prerogative and power will be vested only in the Parliament.

Central Bank Governor to be appointed for the 5-year period

The Central Bank Governor will be appointed by the cabinet for the 5-year period. Institutions with critical importance, such as the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF), Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency, Capital Markets Board (SPK), Competition Authority, Public Oversight, Accounting and Auditing Standards Authority (KGK), Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK), Public Procurement Authority and the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) will have administrative and financial autonomy. A minimum 25% of these institutions will consist of female members. Chairpersons will be appointed twice at most by the cabinet for a 4-year period.

Military academies and military high schools to be opened

Military academies and military high schools, which were shut down after the July 15 coup attempt will be reopened. Gulhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) will be restructured to its former model, which provides military medicine education and trains healthcare professionals in line with the necessity of the army.

Electoral threshold to be 5%

The electoral threshold will be reduced to 5% as the first step toward a fair reflection of the nation’s will on the Parliament. Transparency will be provided in the financing of politics; no compromises will be made on the principles of political ethics.