AKP withdraws its bill granting ‘double salaries’ to former MPs returning to academia
SEBAHAT KARAKOYUN
sebahatkarakoyun@birgun.net / @ssenyaprak
During the hours when the fire at a dorm in Turkey’s Adana province was happening, the government of AKP was trying to pass a bill at plenary session of the Grand National Assembly. The bill, which proposed for those former parliamentarians returning to their posts at universities as faculty members to receive double salaries, had to be withdrawn due to reactions from opposition groups and public. Minister of Education İsmet Yılmaz submitted a written request for the bill to be discussed further at committee level before being brought to parliament floor again.
AKP government was also forced to withdraw their bill on child marriages and child sexual abuse, which they tried passing at the Parliament at night hours, due to major public reactions. With the same thing happening in regards to the bill proposing for ‘double salaries for faculty members returning to their post after holding a seat at the parliament’, AKP government has once again been cornered. In its most recent proposal, AKP had also suggested former MPs who are actually academics to be granted the chance to work at any university they wanted, if they would not be able to find a position due to lack of openings.
CHP and HDP opposed to it
The omnibus bill that includes a regulation that would grant retired parliamentarians double salaries – both as a former MP and a standing faculty member - in case they return to their posts as faculty members, as well as, the privilege of determining the higher education institution of their choice, was approved by AKP MPs despite reactions of CHP and HDP.
However, the bill that AKP MPs tried to pass at the same hours of the tragic fire that took place in a dormitory in Adana and caused 11 children and an adult to lose their lives got stuck in the process because of pressing objections. Minister of Education İsmet Yılmaz requested the bill to be discussed in a committee again, especially with regards to the debated 37th article.
HDP member and Deputy Spokesperson of the Parliament Pervin Buldan stated that the request of Minister Yılmaz will be taken into consideration at the Advisory Committee of the Parliament.
CHP Eskişehir MP and member of Parliamentary Committee on National Education Gaye Usluer highlighted that this latest experience showed once again how ‘the ruling party can be put under control if the public resists’.
Usluer said: “With this regulation, they (former MPs) were to receive not only double salaries but also the privilege of choosing the universities they want to work at. Since rectors are also appointed by the Palace (the President’s office) now, they (AKP) were going to provide their former MPs the opportunity to work at prestigious universities. What they were aiming with this was to give these former MPs (who are to become faculty members) a total of 25,000 TL salary per month, which was to consist of retirement salary as a former MP, salary as a faculty members, and compensations for additional courses and other benefits. However, thanks to free press and social media, they were not able to achieve this. This is the second attempt of this sort in a week! First, their proposal to give rapists immunity from punishment and then this! But we have seen once again how the ruling party can be controlled when the public reacts and resists.”
Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/cifte-maas-simdilik-rafa-kalkti-137877.html