Main Opposition Party Split into Two

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Chair of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and recently deposed Secretary General Önder Sav split the main opposition party into two. After a heated discussion on the party's bylaws, Kılıçdaroğlu eventually appointed a new secretary general and formed a new team on the top executive level of the party.

Sav had opposed Kılıçdaroğlu by convening the Party Assembly for an extraordinary congress.

The dispute started when the Supreme Court of Appeals Prosecutor demanded the main opposition party to implement amended bylaws. The implementation was problematic because the chair and the secretary general could not find an agreement. After this warning, Kılıçdaroğlu renewed the administration of the CHP.

Sava and group chairman Hakkı Süha Okay were not included in the new party leadership.

Party Assembly

Thereupon, Sav held a Party Assembly on Wednesday (3 November) with 61 of a total of 81 delegates and decided for an extraordinary congress by a majority vote of 59 signatures.

In the evening of the same day, Kılıçdaroğlu announced in a press conference that the Party Assembly could not congregate without the party's chairman.

New party leadership

Kılıçdaroğlu's list was submitted to the Supreme Court of Appeals Public Chief Prosecutor. Gülsün Bilgehan, Gökhan Günaydın and Nihat Matkap did not accept the assignments. Bilgehan was replaced by Didem Engin, Günaydın by Mehmet Zeki Gündüz. Süheyl Batum was appointed new Secretary General. Accordingly, the new names in the party leadership are Gürsel Tekin (organizational administration), Hurşit Güneş (administrative and financial affairs), Mesut Değer (elections and legal affairs), İsa Gök (presentation, press and propaganda),  Alaattin Yüksel (local administrations), İzzet Çetin (professional organizations, unions and NGOs), Oğuz Oyan (foreign relations and international organizations), Didem Engin (women's organizations and women's branch), Mehmet Zeki Gündüz (youth organization and youth branch), Umut Oran (economic and financial policies), Mehmet Ali Özpolat (public relations), Sencer Ayata (Ar-Ge BYK platform) and Melda Onur (internal training).

Journalist Yarkadaş: Önder Sav might resign

bianet talked to journalist Barış Yarkadaş from the Gercek Gündem news site. Long before the crisis within the CHP, Yarkadaş had written about the possible resignation of Sav.

Yarkadaş explained that in order to bring the bylaws before the congress, Sav would need to have 261 of the 1,250 delegates behind him for alternative bylaws. He would furthermore have to present a proposal to the CHP. In the journalist's opinion, Sav does not have enough power to proceed accordingly.

"Kılıçdaroğlu will regain confidence in the congress"

An extraordinary congress of the CHP is inevitable, it will not convene on the bylaws though. It will be a congress for electing a chairman. Kılıçdaroğlu will easily gather more than 950 votes and will be confirmed in his office.

Sav might resign. When the bylaws were prepared in 2008, Sav took his last stake with Deniz Baykal, then party chair, and said he was going to resign. Moreover, Sav is not too much attached to the party. He has been a party member for 15 years. If he resigns, another two or three people will follow him. (EÜ/BT/EÖ)