Turkey parliament passes contentious polls pact bill

Ankara: The Turkish parliament on Tuesday passed a controversial bill on electoral law which critics argue will favour President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party ahead of next year’s double elections. The 26-article bill was approved in a marathon night-long session of parliament, with ruling party and opposition lawmakers engaged in a short burst of fist fighting.

The bill lifts a ban on electoral alliances, opening the door for a pact between Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The two parties have already announced an alliance and MHP chief Devlet Bahceli rarely utters the slightest criticism of the government. Such a pact would allow parties to send MPs to parliament even if their party remains below the required 10 percent election threshold.