Turkish Parliament approves early election bill

Ankara April 21 (IANS) Turkish Parliament on Friday ratified a bill to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24 more than one year earlier than the scheduled date.

The bill received 386 votes in favour with support from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and two opposition parties namely Republican People s Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Xinhua reported.

However lawmakers from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) walked out of the Parliament before the vote to protest the early election.

On Wednesday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the presidential and parliamentary elections would be brought forward to June 24 2018 from November 2019 in order to make a swift shift to an executive presidency.

Then the decision was submitted to the Parliament for approval.

--IANS
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