CHP’s in-house debate deepens over İnce, Kılıçdaroğlu row

ANKARA

The in-house debate in the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) continues over the dissident’s demand to change the party administration as the CHP leader voiced his criticism to Muharrem İnce, who has lead the dissidents following his presidential candidacy. 

The main opposition’s party assembly has witnessed serious discussions over the dissident’s criticism to the party administration on Aug. 29, party sources reported.

The assembly convened to make an assessment on the June 24 election results as the party’s top executive body has prepared a detailed report on the party’s campaigning and future road map.

Party sources said that during the meeting, dissidents criticized the administration, adopting the wrong method in determination of lawmaker candidates resulting in decrease in trust in electors. They proposed the party administration to reach the lost electors, however their demand was refused. They also criticized the method in determining the local candidates for the upcoming local elections to be held on March 2019.

It was reported Kılıçdaroğlu also voiced his discomfort with Muharrem İnce’s push for a change in leadership as he had initiated a dissident move.

“I had presented İnce as a candidate for presidency for him to be the president. I had his name in mind. But what was done next has not given trust,” he reportedly said.

The social democrat party’s presidential candidate’s energetic campaigning throughout the election period has created momentum for CHP members, who have been critical to the current administration, to initiate a dissident movement, in demand of a change in Kılıçdaroğlu’s team.

They had launched a campaign to push for a snap congress, however, they failed to garner a sufficient number of signatures to convey a congress with a leadership change.

Following Kılıçdaroğlu’s criticism, İnce criticized the party administration harshly on his official Twitter account, accusing the leadership of “lying.”

“There was a meeting to make an assessment on election results 66 days after the elections. It is a problem not to invite the presidential candidate to this meeting, and the other problem is to lie in the meeting,” İnce posted on Aug. 29.