Opposition within CHP has plans

ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News

Former CHP leader Baykal (L) and former secretary-general Sav (R) may need to join forces to topple Kılıçdaroğlu. AA photo

The opposition, developing for some time behind closed doors in Republican People’s Party (CHP), is preparing to take the stage in the new year.

The opponents who were extremely irritated by the policies CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and his staff were following for more than a year have now started to express their discomfort with a loud voice with the Dersim crisis. 

The opposition in the CHP is shaping around two names: Former leader Deniz Baykal and former secretary general Önder Sav. Both of these names criticize the policies of the current administration. But, just the opposite of what is being said, Baykal and Sav are angry at each other and they have not gotten together to unite forces. Even though their close aides force them toward peace, they have not succeeded in attaining it yet. But, a possible congress to change the party statute and the aim to topple the administration may force the twosome to and act jointly. 

Baykal is meeting with the opponents at his room in parliament and Önder Sav is doing the same at the former Gaziantep deputy Akif Ekici’s Ankara office. Sav has met with former deputies, former party assembly members and most recently on Dec. 10, with some new heads of provinces. Almost all of the opponents think “the CHP has diverted from its essential policies and has evolved into a neo-liberal discourse and there is insufficient opposition to the government.” For this reason, they want to change the party assembly and if possible, the leader. 

The aims of the Baykal and Sav teams overlap. Also, a road map has been adopted. A plan has emerged to convene a congress to review the statute and to change the administration in the first congress. For this target, the opponents do not want the administration to change provincial congresses and the current delegate structure. Because, they are able to control nearly 500 opposing delegates. For this reason, they will try their chances in new year to convene a congress to change the statute. Their aim is to try the open list option, instead of their own production, the block list (closed list) option. By this means, they will be able to have those delegates re-elected who are close to them. Their next aim is to form a delegate structure strong enough to topple the administration in the fall of 2012. 

None of these two groups have a candidate for leadership. Baykal wants it, but conditions do not favor him. Sav is continuing his search for a leader candidate, but he has not yet found a name. 
It looks as if the opponents will speed up their search for an alternative leader in the new year and will force Kılıçdaroğlu to convene the “statute” congress. 

The current administration’s counter plan is to leave the statute amendments to the fall of 2012 and obtain a delegate structure that suits their own views.