Majority of CHP MPs voice support to Kılıçdaroğlu
ANKARA
A good majority of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmakers have pledged support to the continued leadership of Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as he will try to keep his position against two contenders during the next weekend’s convention.
Ninety-five lawmakers out of 130 announced that they will support Kılıçdaroğlu during the grand convention of the party where Manisa MP Özgür Özel and former member of the Party Assembly Örsan Kunter Öymen will run for the leadership.
The CHP will hold its convention on March 4 and 5 under the title of “Democracy and Unity in the 2nd Century,” of the Republic of Türkiye. Some 1,300 delegates will elect the next chairman on Nov. 4 and 60-seat Party Assembly on Nov. 5.
The lawmakers backing Kılıçdaroğlu came together in front of the main Parliament building on Nov. 1 and announced that they will vote for him during the convention. “We, 95 lawmakers of 130, have signed [a petition] to support Kılıçdaroğlu in the convention,” Burdur MP İzzet Akbulut told reporters.
“Today, the CHP has launched a renewal process with its new organization,” he said.
The other strong candidate Özgür Özel, however, has received the backing of the CHP Istanbul branch which has 196 delegates. Of them 185 have announced their support to Özel in the convention. CHP’s head in Istanbul Özgür Çelik held a meeting with Özel in Ankara and expressed his support.
“We have observed that there is a demand of change within our party organization. Istanbul has a political responsibility to meet the demands of the people,” he suggested.
In the meantime, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu will serve as the president of the convention and rule the two-day meeting of the CHP. He is known to be backing Özel against Kılıçdaroğlu.
