Historic manifesto from CHP's 81 provincial chairs: 'İmamoğlu is our presidential candidate'

As the CHP is shaken by the outbursts of former Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and debates over a 'nullity' lawsuit, 81 provincial chairs have issued a joint manifesto. The declaration expresses full support for Özgür Özel and Ekrem İmamoğlu while issuing a stern warning against judicial maneuvers.

Republican People's Party (CHP) organizations have become one voice and one heart against judicial processes targeting the will of the headquarters and the party congress. In a joint statement, the 81 provincial chairs across the country have effectively declared war on political engineering operations and external interventions.

"İMAMOĞLU IS OUR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE"

Declaring that not the slightest shadow will be cast on the legitimacy of the party leadership and the presidential candidate, the provincial chairs stated the following in the declaration:

"Our Chairman, Mr. Özgür Özel, has been elected as our Chairman 4 times by the will of our congress. Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu has also become our Presidential Candidate with the votes of our members and a total of 15.5 million citizens. Our Chairman and our Presidential Candidate have made our Party the hope of our people."

"A NEW ALLIANCE FORMED BY THOSE DESIRING NULLITY"

The statement, which harshly criticized the lawsuit filed to cancel the congress and the forces behind it, highlighted the following:

"The unlawful attacks directed at our Presidential Candidate Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu and his companions with the March 19 Coup are now targeting our Party's corporate identity and our Chairman. Our Party is under attack by a new alliance formed by the March 19 putschists and those who desire 'nullity' in defiance of the free will of our congress."

"A STERN WARNING TO THE PALACE AND THE COURTS: NO AUTHORITY CAN BE EXPECTED"

In the historic declaration signed by 81 provincial chairs, the following definitive warnings were issued against attempts to steer the party through the judiciary:

"Everyone should know that; our Party's march to power cannot be diverted by any political engineering attempt or any external intervention. No authority not granted by our organization, our delegates, and our nation can be expected from or exercised by courts under the control of the ruling power or the Justice and Development Party itself. We will defend the will of the ballot box, our party's law, and our Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel to the end."

The full text of the joint statement by the 81 provincial chairs:

"As the 81 elected provincial chairs of the Republican People's Party, we once again declare that we stand firmly and with the utmost strength behind our party's corporate identity, its elected bodies, its law, and the struggle for justice and democracy led by our Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel.

Our Party, which traces its roots to the Kuvayı Milliye struggle and founded the Republic of Turkey, derives its legitimacy from the national will and its strength from its 81 provincial organizations.

It is clear how our Chairman and management bodies are elected in our Party. Our Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel has been elected as our Chairman 4 times by the will of our congress. Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu has also become our Presidential Candidate with the votes of our members and a total of 15.5 million citizens. Our Chairman and our Presidential Candidate have made our Party the hope of our people through a historic resistance against a despotic government that decays institutions and rules in our country, has lost its social legitimacy, and tries to survive through oppression.

This struggle has made our Party the leading party in Turkey after 47 years. Today, in all public opinion polls, our Party is Turkey's leading party. And the change of power is now a matter of calendar. No one can stand in the way of a change whose time has come.

At this very stage, we see that; the unlawful attacks directed at our Presidential Candidate Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu and his companions with the March 19 Coup are now targeting our Party's corporate identity and our Chairman. Our Party is under attack by a new alliance formed by the March 19 putschists and those who desire "nullity" in defiance of the free will of our congress.

Everyone should know that; our Party's march to power cannot be diverted by any political engineering attempt or any external intervention. No authority not granted by our organization, our delegates, and our nation can be expected from or exercised by courts under the control of the ruling power or the Justice and Development Party itself.

Republican People's Party organizations see all the games being played and will never surrender to them. We will defend the will of the ballot box, our party's law, and our Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel to the end.

Today we are stronger, and we will emerge from these attacks even stronger."

News Source: 12punto