The Structural Barriers in Political Party Laws and Electoral Systems Against Minor Party Representation The Case of Turkey

Dr. Harun MURATOĞULLARI Her ne kadar hukukçular ve siyaset bilimi teorisyenleri modern siyasi partilerin tanım ve işlevleri üzerine çeşitli görüşler ileri sürmüş olsalar da, bu kuruluşların temsili demokrasinin işleyişinde yadsınamaz bir role sahip oldukları iddiası şimdilik en kabul gören aksiyomlardan biridir. Gerçekten, belki de hiçbir başka sivil toplum organizasyonu, temsili demokrasinin işleyişi ile bu derecede ilişkilendirilmemiştir. Bu iddia gerek ileri gerekse gelişmekte olan demokrasiler için ortak ve çoğu zaman resmi kabul gören görüşü de yansıtmaktadır. Öte yandan bu ilkesel duruş, küçük veya kurulum aşamasındaki siyasi partilerin sisteme girişi halinde zayıflamakta ve istisnalarını doğurmaktadır. Parti sistemleri içinde ‘küçüğe' veya parçalanmışlığa karşı tedbir ihtiyacı, gelişmiş veya sorunlu demokrasi ayrımı olmaksızın yaygınca gözlemlenebilen bir olgudur. Bu kitap, karşılaştırmalı literatürden yola çıkarak, Türkiye'de siyasi parti kanununu ve seçim sistemlerinin küçük ve parlamento dışı siyasi partilerin temsili siyaset alanına girişlerinde ne gibi yapısal güçlükleri içerdikleri ya da neden olduklarını incelemektedir. Bunu yaparken, bir siyasi partinin kuruluşundan başlayarak parlamentoda temsil gücü elde etmesine kadarki hukuki süreç ampirik veriler ışığında analiz edilmiş ve hukukun dışlayıcı enstrümanları belli bir model ışığında ele alınmıştır. Table of Contents ABOUT THE BOOK III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS V ABSTRACT VII LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS OF POLITICAL PARTY NAMES IX LIST OF TABLES XIX LIST OF FIGURES XXI CHAPTER 1 1. Introduction 1 1.1. Introduction 1 1.2. Why Turkey? 4 1.3. Argument in Brief 8 1.4. Research Background 10 1.5. Research Motivation 14 1.6. Research Scope and Rationale: Which laws and how to approach? 15 1.7. Research Context and Questions 17 1.8. Research Methods: Data Collection and Analysis 22 1.9. Structure of the Book 24 CHAPTER 2 2. Conceptual Discussion and Theoretical Framework 25 2.1. Introduction 25 2.2. An Overview of the Study of Minor Parties 26 2.3. Definitional Questioning: Are Minor Political Parties Really Political Parties? 28 Evaluation 33 2.4. Theoretical Questioning-Why Study Minor Parties? 37 Evaluation 40 2.5. Research Approaches: How Study Minor Parties? 41 2.5.1. Sociological Approach 41 2.5.2. Numerical Approach 43 2.5.3. Evolutionary Approach 45 Evaluation 47 2.6. Conclusion 49 CHAPTER 3 3. Research Design and Methods 53 3.1. Introduction 53 3.2. Situating the Study: An Intrinsic Case Study 53 3.3. Conceptual Embeddedness 56 3.4. Internal Generalizability 56 3.5. The Identification of Minor Parties in Turkish Context 57 3.6. Research Data 60 3.6.1. Electoral Data 61 3.6.2. Financial Data 61 3.6.3. Interview Data 63 3.6.3.1. Why Party Leaders? 64 3.6.3.2. Sampling: Which Parties? 65 3.6.3.3. Ethical Considerations 68 3.6.3.4. Interview Process 68 3.6.3.5. Data Analysis Process: Thematic Analysis 70 3.7. Conclusion 73 CHAPTER 4 4. The Threshold of Registration 75 4.1. Introduction 75 4.2. An Overview of the Threshold of Registration in Turkey 76 4.3. Analysis 79 4.3.1. General Views 80 4.3.2. The Principle of Ipso Facto Registration 81 4.3.3. The Precautionary Sense against the Possible Outcomes of the Prohibitive Rules 84 4.3.4.Central Party in Ankara 85 4.3.4.1. The real-life necessities 85 4.3.4.2. No seat, no governmental office, and so no interest 86 4.3.4.3. Organizational activity area 87 4.3.4.4. A Loose Conceptualization of Political Party 87 4.3.4.5. Premature Party Formations 89 4.4. Conclusion 91 CHAPTER 5 5. The Threshold of Authorization 93 5.1. Introduction 93 5.2. The Threshold of Authorization in Turkey 94 5.3. Analysis-Stage 1 96 5.3.1. Positive Arguments 97 5.3.1.1. Effective Management of Party Organisations 97 5.3.1.2. Acquaintance with the State Administration 99 5.3.1.3. Territorial Diffusion 99 5.3.2. Negative Arguments 100 5.3.2.1. The Perception of Interference in the Internal Affairs of Parties 100 5.3.2.2. Inconsistency with Party Preferences 101 5.3.2.3. Organisational Obligations 102 5.3.3. Evaluation 103 5.4. Analysis-Stage 2 104 5.4.1. Major Parties 105 5.4.2.Minor Parties 106 5.4.2.1. First Group 106 5.4.2.2. The Second Group 107 5.4.2.3. The Third Group 112 5.4.3. The Opinions on the Threshold of Authorization 113 5.4.4. Testing the Key Insight 115 5.5. Conclusion 118 CHAPTER 6 6. The Threshold of Representation 123 6.1. Introduction 123 6.2. Theoretical Considerations 125 6.2.1. The Mechanical Impact of Electoral Systems 126 6.2.1.1. Electoral Formula 128 6.2.1.2. Apportionment Methods 130 6.2.1.3. District Magnitude 130 6.2.1.4. Legal Threshold 131 6.2.2. Evaluation 132 6.3. The Psychological Impact of Electoral Systems 132 6.3.1. The Electoral Systems in Turkey 137 6.3.2. The Period between 1950 and 1960 137 6.3.2.1. Rules 137 6.3.2.2. Analysis 138 6.3.3. The Period between 1961 to 1980 146 6.3.3.1. Rules 146 6.3.3.2. Analysis 149 6.3.4.The Period between 1983 and 2015 158 6.3.4.1. Rules 158 6.3.4.2. Analysis 160 6.4. Conclusion 171 CHAPTER 7 7. The Threshold of Public Funding 183 7.1. Introduction 183 7.2. The Law-Driven Costs of Entry 185 7.2.1.The Costs of the Threshold of Registration 186 7.2.2. The Costs of the Threshold of Authorization 186 7.2.3.The Costs of the Threshold of Representation 187 7.3. Theoretical Considerations on Public Party Funding Laws 189 7.4. Rules: An Overview of the Party Finance Regulation in Turkey 194 7.4.1. Private Income 195 7.4.2. Public funding 196 7.4.3. Expenditure 198 7.5. The Analysis of the Fundraising Capacity of Major and Minor Parties in Turkey 198 7.5.1 The Disparity of Private Income between Major and Minor Parties 199 7.5.1.1. From Multi-Effective Parties to the Hegemony of Two Parties 200 7.5.1.2. A Four-Tier Distribution of Private Income 204 7.5.2. The Impact of the Private Income Restrictions 206 7.5.2.1. The Donation Cap 207 7.5.2.2. Prohibitions 211 Evaluation 212 7.6. The Analysis of the Threshold of Public Party Funding of Turkey 213 7.6.1. A Critical Evaluation of the History of Turkish Public Party Funding Regim