Turkey’s main opposition CHP to change party statute in congress
Turkey’s main opposition CHP will hold a party congress on Sept. 6 to change its statute. In its draft form, the party made amendments to articles regulating primary elections, term limits, and member responsibilities.
Ceren Bayar / DUVAR
Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) will hold a party congress on Sept. 6 to change its statute.
The Statute Drafting Commission finalized the draft statute at a meeting held on Sept. 5. The commission has been working since April.
The commission members accepted the draft unanimously, and it was sent to former party chairs, including Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. However, Kılıçdaroğlu will not attend the congress, journalist İsmail Saymaz reported.
While there are no major changes in the statute, some articles were amended in line with the demands of provincial organizations.
According to the draft statute, one of the various methods such as organization-supervised primary elections, judge-supervised primary elections, tendency polls, and central appointment could be applied to deputy candidate nomination according to the dynamics of the electoral districts. The provincial organizations will decide on the method.
CHP leader Özgür Özel reportedly said primary elections should be held in all possible electoral districts under the supervision of the organization or a judge.
The party headquarters were previously naming 15 percent of the deputy candidates in total. After the feedback from the major province organizations, this quota will be applied as 15 percent in each electoral district, according to the draft statute.
Another amendment seeks to impose a three-term limit for all elected officials, including deputies. However, an official can run again for a seat following a break after serving for three terms.
The draft also seeks to make the members pay between 120 and 6,000 liras in dues. Meanwhile one has to be a party member for one year to vote in the party’s primary elections.
Women and youth quotas are also regulated in the draft statute. Accordingly, 10 percent quotas were allocated for people between the ages of 18 and 25, 15 percent for the working age group between 25 and 40, and 35 percent for women. The women's quota is set to reach 50 percent after 2-3 congresses.
(English version by Alperen Şen)