Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 19 april 2017

UK leader seeks snap June 8 election to bolster Brexit hand

leave the EU, May had re- Party, welcomed May’s
peatedly ruled out going announcement, making it
to the polls before the next very likely she will get law-
scheduled election in 2020. makers’ backing for an
But on Tuesday, she said she election.
had “reluctantly” changed May’s governing Conser-
her mind because political vatives currently have a
divisions “risk our ability to slight majority, with 330
make a success of Brexit.” seats in the 650-seat House
“We need a general elec- of Commons.
tion and we need one With Labour demoralized
now,” May said. “Because and divided under left-wing
we have, at this moment, a leader Corbyn and the
one-off chance to get this pro-EU Liberal Democrats
done, while the European holding just nine Commons
Union agrees its negotiat- seats, May is calculating
ing position and before the that the election will bring
detailed talks begin.” her an expanded crop of
For decades British prime Conservative lawmakers.
ministers could call elec- That would make it easier
tions at will, but that for her to ignore opposition
changed with the 2011 calls for a softer EU exit —
Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, making compromises to re-
which established set poll- tain some benefits of mem-
Britain’s Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn arrives for a meeting in Birmingham central England Tues-
day April 18, 2017. In a shock announcement, Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday ing days every five years. bership — and to face
called for an early general election to be held June 8 to seek a strong mandate as she negotiates Now, the prime minister down hard-liners within her
Britain’s exit from the European Union. needs the backing of two- own party who want a no-
(Ben Birchall/PA via AP) thirds of lawmakers and compromise “hard Brexit”
May said she would put her that many economists fear
JILL LAWLESS With the Labour opposition undisclosed subject early election call to the House could be devastating.
Associated Press weakened, May’s gamble Tuesday outside 10 Down- of Commons on Wednes- Tim Bale, professor of poli-
LONDON (AP) — Deliver- will probably pay off with ing St. Speculation swirled day. tics at Queen Mary Univer-
ing the latest jolt in Britain’s an enhanced Conserva- and the pound plunged “Let us tomorrow vote for sity of London, said that
year of political shocks, tive majority in Parliament against the dollar amid un- an election. Let us put for- even for a cautious politi-
Prime Minister Theresa May — but it’s unlikely to unite certainty about whether ward our plans for Brexit cian like May, the temp-
called Tuesday for a snap a country deeply split over she planned to resign, call and our alternative pro- tation of an early election
June 8 general election, the decision to quit the EU. an election or even de- grams for government and was irresistible.
seeking to strengthen her May returned from an clare war. then let the people de- “She has a small majority, a
hand in European Union Easter break in the Welsh Since taking office after her cide,” May said. big task ahead of her and
exit talks and tighten her mountains to announce predecessor David Cam- Jeremy Corbyn, leader of a huge opinion poll lead,”
grip on a fractious Conser- that she would make a eron resigned in the wake the main opposition Labour he said. q
vative Party. televised statement on an of Britain’s June 23 vote to
Turkish opposition party files to have referendum voided

SUZAN FRASER day’s vote gave President military coup last summer. ment due to voting irregu- closed Sunday, to accept
ZEYNEP BILGINSOY Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey’s parliament agreed larities. He said the party ballots that didn’t bear
Associated Press “yes” camp a narrow win Tuesday to extend for an- would use all legal paths to the official stamps used to
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Tur- for constitutional changes other three months the challenge the vote. verify they are genuine, as
key’s prime minister on Tues- that will abolish the office emergency powers allow- “We demand the cancel- required by Turkish law.
day called on the opposi- of the prime minister and ing the government to rule lation of this referendum,” Monitors from the Organi-
tion to respect the result of convert Turkey’s system of by decree. Tezcan said. The opposi- zation for Security and Co-
a referendum that will give government from a parlia- Bulent Tezcan, deputy tion has cited several prob- operation in Europe, who
sweeping new powers to mentary to a presidential chairman of the opposition lems with how the vote was also listed numerous irreg-
the office of the president, one. The referendum took Republican People’s Party, conducted. But it has been ularities, said the board’s
but the main opposition place under a state of or CHP, said the party filed particularly outraged by an move undermined impor-
party formally requested to emergency that was de- a formal request seeking electoral board decision, tant election safeguards.
have the vote voided. Sun- clared following a failed the referendum’s annul- announced as the polls q