The opposition and possibilities for local cooperation

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Following the elections held last May, the opposition has become trapped in its own internal problems. There appears to be no indication that the opposition is working on a roadmap involving cooperation for the local elections to be held in March 2024. In fact, several opposition parties have announced that they are not warm to the idea of cooperation and will enter the elections with their own candidates.

When the available data is taken into account, it appears that it will be very difficult for opposition parties to be successful if they enter the local elections alone against the ruling bloc, which is in an advantageous position. They will likely even lose the metropolitan municipalities they previously won.

First and foremost, let us emphasize that in the current political and economic environment, opposition forces do not have the luxury of competing among themselves for any reason whatsoever.

Because, among other things, failure of the opposition in the local elections could deepen the hopelessness and despondency of opposition voters, and consequently trigger their withdrawal from democratic processes such as the ballot box.

Therefore, it is of vital importance for our country that opposition forces set aside internal debates and focus on how they will cooperate in the local elections.

Under these disadvantageous conditions, opposition forces can only achieve significant success in the local elections by cooperating. This is the only way to ensure that the despondent and hopeless opposition electorate goes to the polls and mobilizes. The regression in democratic standards can only be halted if the opposition achieves a strong success in the local elections.

Furthermore, a strong success achieved in the local elections will strengthen the opposition's communication with the public. This, in turn, opens the door to success for the opposition in general elections as well.

Therefore, our hope is that the opposition, for the common good, will set aside petty calculations and short-term intra-party interests, develop a cooperation model suitable for the unique conditions of each region in the local elections, and begin working on it immediately.