Turkey’s constitutional reform
21-Jan-2017: Turkish parliament approves constitutional reform bill
The Turkish parliament has approved a constitutional reform bill that includes strengthening the powers of the presidency, a move that paves the way for a referendum this year that could see President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in office until 2029.
The constitutional reform bill was approved overnight with 339 votes in the 550-member assembly, parliament said on its official Twitter account on Saturday. The legislation needed at least 330 deputies to support it in order to go to a public vote.
Referred to as the ‘Turkish-style presidency,’ the constitutional change will bring about a number of reforms, and replace the current parliamentary system in which the president serves only as a ceremonial figurehead alongside a prime minister, with a presidential system, which will allow the president to become the sole executive head of state in the country.
More importantly, the office of the prime minister and the cabinet will be abolished and the president will become the head of the executive branch.
The reform would enable the president to issue decrees, declare emergency rule, appoint ministers and top state officials and dissolve parliament – powers that the two main opposition parties say strip away balances to Erdogan’s power.
With the reforms, the president will be allowed to retain ties to a political party, potentially allowing Erdogan to resume his leadership of the AK Party, in a move that opposition parties say will abolish any chance of impartiality.
The plans also envisage presidential and general elections to be held together in 2019 with a president eligible to serve a maximum two five-year terms.
Trade disputes
21-Jan-2017: Japan threatens to drag India to WTO on steel
Japan is threatening to take India to the WTO over restrictions that nearly halved its steel exports to the South Asian nation over the past year, a step that could trigger more trade spats as global tensions over steel and other commodities run high.
India imposed duties of up to 20% on some hot-rolled flat steel products in September 2015, and set a floor price in February 2016 for steel product imports to deter countries such as China, Japan and South Korea from undercutting local mills. Tokyo says India’s actions are inconsistent with WTO rules and contributed to the plunge in its steel exports to India, which dropped to 11th-largest on Japan’s buyer list in 2016 through November, down from sixth-largest in 2015.
With global trade friction increasing, Japan’s defence of an industry that sells nearly half of its products overseas is getting more vigorous. Besides concern over India’s protection of its domestic steel industry, Japan is also worried about the more rough and tumble climate for global trade being engendered by incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, and feels it must make a strong stand for open and fair international markets.
China - Malaysia
11-Jan-2017: Chinese submarine has docked at a port in Malaysia
A Chinese submarine has docked at the port of Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia for the first time, indicating the deepening military ties between the two countries.
Significance:
- Analysts say docking of Chinese submarine signals the emergence of special ties between Beijing and Kuala Lumpur.
- Submarine port visits can only happen when mutual trust between two navies has reached new heights, as submarine operations are very secretive and sensitive.
- The move is being seen as a trigger for elevated tensions in the South China Sea (SCS). The Malaysian port has a naval base facing the SCS.
China-Malaysia economic cooperation:
- Malaysia is an enthusiastic partner in the development of the China-led Maritime Silk Road (MSR).
- The two countries have already established the China-Malaysia port cooperation alliance, comprising 11 Chinese and six Malaysian ports.
- The Strait of Malacca maritime industrial park is also being set up.
- The Malacca industrial park is part of the giant Malacca Gateway Project that China and Malaysia signed last year. It also includes the establishment of the strategically vital deep water port in the Strait of Malacca in Malaysia.