Erdogan to rule by decree under proposed presidential system

Istanbul (dpa) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be able to rule by decree under a proposed new executive-presidential system, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said.Most legislative matters, with the exception of the budget, would continue to come from parliament, Yildirim, who heads the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency on board a plane to Russia. Erdogan already has the power to rule by decree under a current state of emergency, put in place after a failed coup attempt in July.Notably, the draft proposal, which the government says will be brought to parliament this week, allows the president to be a party member.Erdogan had to nominally step aside as AKP leader after he was elected president in 2014, as the current constitution designated the head of state as a non-partisan office.He continues to wield almost total control over the party he helped found, and the proposed amendments would normalize this. The government appears to lack the necessary votes in parliament to reform the constitution without going to a referendum. So far, the changes only have the backing of the AKP and Devlet Bahceli, the leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).Bahceli is thought to be seeking a vice-presidency position if the measure is approved in a plebiscite, which could take place in the middle of next year.The centre and left-wing of the political map, including the main Kurdish party, are staunchly opposed to the proposed presidential system, arguing it would weaken checks and balances.