CHP Charter Congress meeting: How will the presidential candidate be determined?

The Republican People's Party (CHP) continues its preparations for the Charter Congress to be held on September 4-8.

In this regard, the CHP Charter Commission met for the second time on Tuesday.

The Charter Commission meeting, consisting of representatives from 81 provincial organizations, 2 members of parliament, and 3 Party Assembly members, lasted approximately 12 hours.

PRIMARY ELECTIONS WERE THE MOST DISCUSSED TOPIC

According to a report by Gazete Duvar, one of the most discussed items at the meeting was the party's candidate selection process. A small number of commission members stated that 'primary elections under the supervision of a judge/YSK' should be implemented as the sole method for candidate selection in all elections.

HYBRID METHOD IN CANDIDATE SELECTION

The general tendency of the commission was to prefer methods that vary according to electoral districts in candidate selection processes.

Expressing that urban dynamics, demographic structure, and past election experiences should be taken into account, the Charter Commission members stated that it would be more accurate to determine the appropriate method in light of all these factors.

Stating that 'primary elections under judicial supervision' alone might not bring success and that there have been negative experiences regarding this in the past, the members expressed that hybrid methods should be applied in candidate selection.

PROVINCIAL ORGANIZATION WILL PROPOSE THE METHOD, PM WILL DECIDE

At the meeting, the idea that one or more of the methods such as 'primary election under organizational supervision', 'candidate polling', 'central polling', 'central appointment', and 'measurement and evaluation' could be applied according to the dynamics of the city came to the fore. A broad consensus was reached on the provincial organizations making proposals regarding which method to apply, the Party Assembly (PM) making the final decision, and the PM and provincial organizations acting in coordination during candidate selection processes.

3-TERM LIMIT IS COMING

Charter Commission members also largely agreed on implementing the 'maximum 3-term service' rule for members of parliament, mayors, provincial chairs, and all elected officials. Different ideas were put forward regarding how the term limit would be applied. While some members said that the 3-term limit should not be flexible, most members stated that it would be appropriate for those who complete 3 terms and enter a primary election and succeed to serve for one more term.

SHOULD THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE SELECTION METHOD BE IN THE CHARTER?

At the meeting, while there were those who expressed the opinion that the method by which the presidential candidate will be determined should be clarified and that the candidate should be determined by a method in which all members participate, there were also those who recorded their reservations regarding the inclusion of this heading in the charter.

Reminding that the Law on Political Parties has a provision stating that the parliamentary group will determine the presidential candidate, the members said that there should be no provisions in the charter contrary to the law.

Some members also stated that the CHP's goal is a return to the parliamentary system, and that the inclusion of the presidential candidate selection method in the charter would mean accepting the continuation of this system.

CONGRESSES WILL BE HELD EVERY 3 YEARS, THE NEXT CONGRESS IS IN 2026

One of the items discussed at the Charter Commission meeting was the term of office of the organizations and, consequently, how often ordinary congresses will be held. Representatives from provincial organizations proposed that provincial congresses, which are held every 2 years, and therefore the CHP's ordinary, elective congresses, should be held every 3 years. Stating that the 2-year terms of office should be increased to 3 years, the provincial organization representatives noted that 2 years is not enough to increase organization in the city, engage in politics, and carry out active and continuous work.

If this proposal is implemented, the CHP's ordinary congress, which is expected to be held in 2025 and will also include the election of the chairman, will be held in 2026. Thus, the CHP will have held one congress instead of two until the 2028 elections.

Discussions were also held at the meeting regarding the CHP's membership structure. A broad consensus was reached on the proposal not to introduce criteria for becoming a member of the CHP, but to introduce some criteria for members to vote in primary elections or to be a candidate.

Formulas were also discussed to prevent those who become members very shortly before the primary elections to be held for candidate selection from influencing the outcome of the primary by voting. Criteria such as members who will vote in primary elections having completed one year of membership and paying their dues regularly were discussed.

DRAFT TEXT READY IN 1-2 DAYS

The Charter Commission will hold 2 more meetings before the congress starting on September 4. Before the next meeting to be held on Monday, a draft text including the items on which there is a consensus or a broad agreement will be prepared and sent to all members of the commission. After the draft text is discussed once more, the text will be opened for discussion in the PM, and the final version will be presented to the congress delegates.