Banner Advertise

Friday, September 10, 2010

[chottala.com] The forthcoming constitutional referendum will undoubtedly be another political litmus test for Turkeys prime minister




 
 
Opinion
Erdogan's lifetime test
The forthcoming constitutional referendum will undoubtedly be another political litmus test for Turkey's prime minister.
 
Birol Baskan Last Modified: 10 Sep 2010 14:36 GMT
The forthcoming constitutional referendum could well prove to be a self inflicted stumbling block for the legislative ambitions of Turkish prime minister Recip Erdogan [Getty Images]
 
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is about to face the most difficult test of his political career. On 12 September 2010 Turkey will go to the polls, to vote for or against the constitutional amendment Erdogan's party proposed and passed in parliament this previous spring.
 
The date of referendum, selected by the High Council of Election, is no accident. It was 30 years ago on 12 September 1980, the Turkish military staged a coup d'état, closing down parliament, shutting down all political parties, exiling thousands of state employees, jailing political leaders and activists from both ends of the political spectrum. To secure its long-term affect on Turkish politics, the military penned a constitution, which essentially crafted the contemporary political structure in Turkey.
 
The broader objective of the 1983 constitution was, first, to institutionalize the military's influence on politics, by creating the National Security Council, and, second, to create a protective shield around high state institutions to insulate them against the turbulence of political life.  For example, the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors was founded as a shield around the judiciary, responsible in making critical decisions regarding the judges and state prosecutors, administering their employment, appointments, promotions and expulsions from the position.
 
Central to the effectiveness of the protective shield was the Office of Presidency. The new constitution granted extensive discretionary powers to the president, especially in making appointments to crucial high state institutions.
 
Two illiberal aspects of this arrangement were that, first, despite having such extensive powers the President could not be held responsible for his decisions and, second, the decisions taken by the protective state councils were made final, not subject to any judicial review.
 
There was limited scope for democratic politics having an impact on the state structure, only through the office of Presidency, as the parliament would elect the President every seven years. However, once the president was elected, he has to leave all of his affiliations with any political party.
 
Since 1983, the year the constitution went into effect after a referendum, more than a third of the constitution has been amended, Erdogan himself having contributed greatly to this. However, even the totality of all amendments has not made a dent on the illiberal aspect of Turkish democracy. Its hardly surprising that Freedom House has categorized Turkey as a partly free country for 27 consecutive years.
 
The new amendment to be voted on 12 September suggests critical changes in the constitution. The amendment, for example, introduces a positive discrimination principle in favor of women, children, the disabled, the elderly,and widows to mention but a few. It gives state employees right to collective bargaining, institutes an office of ombudsman, and makes the closure of political parties more difficult.
 
What is more important is the fact that the amendment seeks to break the protective shield around high state institutions and decrease the role of the president in the appointments. The amendment subjects the decisions of High Council of Military and of High Council of Judges and Prosecutors to judicial review and makes it possible to bring the speaker of the parliament, the chief of staff of the Armed Forces and other high commanders before the constitutional court.
 
Finally, and most controversially, the amendment restructures the judiciary. First, it increases the size of the Constitutional Court and of the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors. Second, the amendment changes the appointment procedures to these two institutions, especially in appointments to the latter, considerably reducing the jurisdiction of the president. In the new arrangement, the president will appoint only 4 of 22 members of the High Council from law professors and lawyers. The rest of the members are to be appointed by the Court of Cessation, the Council of State, the Turkish Academy of Justice and the judges and state prosecutors.
With these changes the amendment advances the liberal transformation of the Turkish state. As such the amendment constitutes possibly the most reformist act Erdogan has ever taken and has already turned into Turkey's own struggle to come to terms with the 1980 military coup.
 
The problem is that although Erdogan still enjoys strong popular support in Turkey, the outcome of this referendum is unpredictable even now, two days before the referendum. The opposition is boasted by the emergence of a new leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The masses are lost in the sheer size of changes the amendment introduces and, quite frankly, Erdogan has not been able to clarify what the referendum will bring about. 
 
If Erdogan fails to pass this test, the referendum might turn out to be a watershed in Erdogan's political career, which has so far been extremely blessed. Imagine that he was put into jail in March 1999 and lost his political right to run for any political office. Four years later, in March 2003, Erdogan was the prime minister of Turkey. Eleven years later, he was still the prime minister and in that office was awarded by the King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia of the King Faisal International Award for his "outstanding service to Islam."
 
Since the very beginning the occupants of high state institutions, have not refrained from expressing their discontent with him. He has been subject to implicit and explicit threats and insults. Such victimization by the state worked favourably for him as the masses supported him in a manner no previous popular politician has ever enjoyed.
 
Hence at stake is Erdogan's political invincibility, which might be harmed seriously. More importantly, at stake is the future direction of Turkey's domestic and foreign policy orientation. Erdogan's most critical asset in this test will be his efficvictimisationfavourablyient party apparatus and grass-root religious communities, who seem to stand strongly behind him in this endeavour.
 
Birol Baskan is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Government at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Qatar.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy

__._,_.___


[* Moderator�s Note - CHOTTALA is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political and non-discriminatory organization.

* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]



Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[chottala.com] VUMIKOMPO IN DHAKA!!!!



4.6RS earthquake was felt in Dhaka:
 
Please read this news below:
 
Samor Das
 
 



__._,_.___


[* Moderator's Note - CHOTTALA is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political and non-discriminatory organization.

* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]



Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[chottala.com] Earthquake in Dhaka!!!



May Allah keep everybody safe there:
 
 



__._,_.___


[* Moderator�s Note - CHOTTALA is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political and non-discriminatory organization.

* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]



Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[chottala.com] Earthquake



Tremors shake Dhaka, other parts
Sat, Sep 11th, 2010 12:04 am BdST
Dial 2000 from your GP mobile for latest news  
Dhaka, Sep 10 (bdnews24.com)—Two moderate earthquakes, the second measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale, jolted Dhaka and parts of Bangladesh in the space of half an hour on Friday night.

According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre of the earthquake was between Dhaka and Comilla (45 km south east of Dhaka and 50km west of Comilla).

The Met Office in Dhaka said the first tremor was felt around 10:45pm and the second, which shook installations across Dhaka, at 11:25pm.

Meteorologist Kamrul Hasan confirmed bdnews24.com of the quakes and said analysis was going on.

Nizamuddin Ashraf, a 29-year old resident of Tikatuli, Old Dhaka, told bdnews24.com within minutes of the second quake that people had run out to the streets.

"The utensils stuffed on top a rickety cupboard in the kitchen crashed on the floor."

Another resident of Green Road said he was out chatting with friends at a tea stall as he habitually does on the eve of every Eid.

"People started to come down to the streets frantically at first. But then they calmed soon and went back."

Reports of tremors happening at 11:25pm were coming in from Gopalganj, Jhenaidah, Tongi, Narsinghdi and Chandpur.

Superintendent of the Dhaka University's earth observatory Humayun Akhter said there were several tremors.

"The first at 10.40pm measured 4, at 10. 41 it measured 3.5 and the third one at 11.25 measured 4.5 on the Richter scale according our calculations."

bdnews24.com/sm/sit/lh/mhc/bd/ta/2345h
WARNING: Any unauthorised use or reproduction of bdnews24.com content for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited and constitutes copyright infringement liable to legal action.
Share |


--
_________________________________
Abdul Mannan
Professor
School of Business
University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh
House # 56, Road # 4/A
Dhanmondi R/A, Dhaka-1209
Bangladesh.
BDT=GMT +6
Working Days Sunday-Thursday
E-mail: abman1971@gmail.com
 http://www.ulab.edu.bd


__._,_.___


[* Moderator's Note - CHOTTALA is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political and non-discriminatory organization.

* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]



Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

[chottala.com] India-Bangladesh rail link survey completed



http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=sep1010

Indo-Bangla rail link survey completed =-O
Correspondent
 
AGARTALA, Sept 9 – A four-member Bangladesh Railways team returned to Dhaka on Wednesday after conducting survey on the much awaited rail link between Agartala in Tripura and Akhaura in Bangladesh side.
 
The alignment for the proposed 16-km rail link between two sides has been completed though the Bangladesh Railways team declined to comment on the issue. "We have down our job here. We will now submit our reports to the government of our country," said a member of the team.
 
The team, comprising Shah Jalauddin Islam, Chief Engineer of Bangladesh Railways, Md S Jaha, Y Ali Mirdha and Chandan Debnath, arrived at Agartala on September 6 through Akhaura checkpost to survey the proposed rail extension project.
 
The team had an interaction with the Indian Railways team here on Wednesday before meeting with Tripura Transport Minister Manik Dey.
 
Bangladesh Railways team's report is likely to catalyze the pace of bilateral understandings between both the nations.
 
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed had visited New Delhi in January this year and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India on several points. The Prime Ministers of both the countries had agreed to put a comprehensive framework for cooperation and development.
 
 


__._,_.___


[* Moderator�s Note - CHOTTALA is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political and non-discriminatory organization.

* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]



Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___

RE: [chottala.com] Eid Mubarak



Wa alaikumus salam. Wish you the most happy Eidul Fitre celebration with your family and friends.
                                                                                      Moyeenul Alam

To: chottala@yahoogroups.com
From: siraj_58@hotmail.com
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2010 15:25:58 -0300
Subject: [chottala.com] Eid Mubarak

 
Dear chottala community members,
I like to convey my  Eid Greetings   to you all, wish and pray for your long life and many many happy returns of the day.

 
http://www.apnimarzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/eid-mubarak2.gif


Sincerely with regards,
Dowllah (Dr. Siraj Uddowllah),
From Canada.                                      




__._,_.___


[* Moderator's Note - CHOTTALA is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political and non-discriminatory organization.

* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]



Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)