CHP charter amendment completed: Here are the decisions made...

The CHP's 20th Extraordinary Congress, convened at ATO Congresium with the agenda of amending the party charter, has concluded.

With the amendment made to the party charter, the chairman will be deputized by the secretary general and the deputy chairmen in the order determined by the protocol regulation.

The TBMM group chairman and deputy chairmen have been included in the Central Executive Board (MYK), the party's highest administrative body. The secretary general's position in the MYK has been placed ahead of the deputy chairmen.

In the charter, the following phrase was added to Article 41: "To be a candidate for chairman at congresses, a written proposal from at least 10 percent and at most 15 percent of the total number of congress members is required. Candidates cannot collect more than 15 percent of signatures and cannot submit them to the congress presidency."

To be a candidate for chairman, a written proposal from at least 5 percent and at most 10 percent of the total number of congress members will be required. No more than 10 percent of signatures can be submitted to the council presidency. The incumbent chairman may become a candidate upon their request; they cannot collect signatures themselves, nor can signatures be collected on their behalf.

PARTY ASSEMBLY TO DECIDE ON METHOD

With the amendment, it was stated that the methods for determining candidates for TBMM membership are primary election, organization-supervised primary election, candidate polling, organization-supervised candidate polling, and central polling. According to the charter, the Party Assembly (PM) will decide which method will be applied in which electoral district, in line with the opinions of the provincial organizations.

In organization-supervised primary elections and organization-supervised candidate polling, election results will be determined by the decision of the PM and reported to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) according to the central polling procedure.

The PM decision is of a determinative nature and cannot alter the finalized election results. Measures will be taken in the ballot papers used in these methods to ensure a balanced distribution of candidates by region, gender, age, and profession. For this reason, voting principles will be determined by regulation according to the characteristics of each electoral district.

In electoral districts where organization-supervised primary elections or organization-supervised candidate polling are held, the PM may determine up to 15 percent of the total number of TBMM members as a headquarters quota. This quota may be up to 15 percent of the total number of deputies in each electoral district.

The PM, utilizing measurement and evaluation methods, will allocate the seats reserved for the headquarters quota: up to one-third to the provincial organization, up to one-third to youth and women's branch members, and up to one-third to the current party members of the TBMM. At least one-fourth of the seats allocated to youth and women's branch members will be reserved for seats where deputies were elected in the previous election.

In central polling, candidates will be determined directly by the PM.

Those who participate in primary elections, organization-supervised primary elections, candidate polling, or organization-supervised candidate polling will not be able to apply for central polling, central candidacy, or headquarters quota.

A disabled candidate will be placed in the first row of the candidate list in at least one electoral district.

THREE-TERM RULE

According to the charter, an individual can be elected as a member of parliament for a maximum of three consecutive terms. Legislative terms in which elections are renewed before half of the term is completed will not be counted.

The term condition will not be sought in primary election, organization-supervised primary election, candidate polling, and organization-supervised candidate polling methods. In electoral districts where the party has no deputies, the term rule may not be applied upon the proposal of the Central Executive Board and the decision of the PM in order to elect deputies or increase the party's votes in these districts.

According to the additional article added here, the application of the term rule will begin as of the 27th legislative term of the TBMM, which was formed following the June 24, 2018 elections.

CANDIDATE DETERMINATION PROCESS IN LOCAL ELECTIONS

The three-term rule will also be applied in the candidate determination process for local elections. Accordingly, an individual can be elected as mayor, or municipal or provincial council member for a maximum of three consecutive terms.

The term condition will not be sought in primary election, organization-supervised primary election, candidate polling, and organization-supervised candidate polling methods. The term exception in case of a change in electoral district may be applied upon the proposal of the Central Executive Board and the decision of the PM.

A 50 percent gender quota and a 30 percent youth quota will be applied in deputy, provincial council, and municipal council candidacies determined by election in organization-supervised primary elections or organization-supervised candidate polling, in the election of the party assembly and high disciplinary board, in the election of provincial and district executive boards, and in the election of provincial congress delegates and general congress delegates. Gender and youth quotas will be gradually increased at congresses.

This quota will be applied as a 10 percent youth quota for the 18-25 age range and a 20 percent working-age quota for the 26-40 age range.

In case of a candidacy application, at least one disabled person will take part in district and provincial executive boards and the PM.

In disciplinary referral procedures, the position of the person at the date the party offense was committed will be taken into account in determining the referring body and the authorized disciplinary board.

The authority to pardon finalized penalties will rest with the PM, after taking the opinion of the High Disciplinary Board and, if party membership continues, the chairman or secretary at the date the penalty was finalized.

On the other hand, some articles in the party's congress regulation were also amended.