Majority of CHP voters demand change within party: Survey

78.5 percent of the CHP voters demand change within the party after the election loss, according to a recent survey conducted by Aksoy Research.

Monday July 10 2023 01:21 pm

Turkish main opposition CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (L) and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu who calls for change within the party (R)

Duvar English

Some 78.5 percent of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) voters demand change within the party after the election loss, according to the Aksoy Research’s recent survey conducted for Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

21.5 percent of the respondents said they are against change within the party, according to the survey conducted by using Computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) technique.

When asked “What comes to your mind when you think of change?”, 27 percent of the respondents said “the resignation of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (from CHP leadership),” whereas 8.2 percent said “İmamoğlu.”

When asked “What do you understand from İmamoğlu’s demand for change,” 27.5 percent said “party leadership change,” whereas 25 percent said “He wants to be the CHP leader.”

38.5 percent of the respondents said they want to see Ekrem İmamoğlu as the CHP leader, 22.7 percent said Kılıçdaroğlu, 8.4 percent said Mansur Yavaş, and 8.2 percent said Özgür Özel.

On the other hand, 53 percent of the CHP respondents said they want İmamoğlu to continue his post as Istanbul Mayor. However, 64.5 percent said İmamoğlu’s party leadership would benefit the CHP.

56.9 percent of the respondents said they do not want the CHP to form an alliance with other parties in the upcoming local elections.

The survey results were shared by journalist İsmail Saymaz.

Kılıçdaroğlu lost the presidential election against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by receiving 47.82 percent of the votes in the second round of the race on May 28.

Moreover, the CHP received 25.41 percent of the votes in the May 14 parliamentary elections, falling short of expectations, ending up having 169 seats in the parliament out of 600 while leaving the majority to the ruling alliance. 39 deputies out of 169 were from other alliance parties.

Although there is a strong consensus for a need for change for CHP leadership, Kılıçdaroğlu has not shown any willingness in this regard.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on various occasions stated that radical change is needed within the party.