Örsan Öymen evaluates the Party Congress in his column: 'We will see together'

Örsan Öymen, who was a candidate for the CHP chairmanship and announced his withdrawal via his social media account following a critical speech he delivered on the day of the Party Congress, evaluated the Congress in his column.

"EVERYTHING WAS DONE TO ELIMINATE OTHER CANDIDATES"

Öymen said the following:

"The designs for the 38th ordinary congress of the Republican People's Party were completed weeks in advance by the oligarchic structures within the CHP, and the congress was reduced to a race between Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Özgür Özel.

During the congress process, everything necessary was done to eliminate other candidates who were sincerely struggling against imperialism and capitalism and who had been advocating for years that the party should return to its principles and essence, that left-wing economic policies should be implemented, and that the principle of secularism should be upheld."

"THEY COLLECTED HUNDREDS OF SIGNATURES THIS WAY"

In this context, a systematic media embargo lasting weeks was applied to the candidates in question, using political, commercial, and media relations; a monopoly on delegates and signatures was created through delegate engineering and delegate patronage; congress delegates were pressured through various means; although 69 delegate signatures were sufficient for prospective candidates, Özgür Özel and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu collected hundreds of signatures by using the clause in the party bylaws stating that 'signatures cannot be given to more than one candidate,' and in this way, they prevented other prospective candidates from becoming official candidates; the two candidates decided together which banners and posters could be hung in the congress hall and who would be admitted to the hall and in what proportions, and they called this the 'Congress of Democracy and Unity.'

Those who turn politics into a career object did not surprise those who practice politics for the sake of principles, ideology, and a cause, by doing what was expected of them.

"HE REVEALED THAT HE DOES NOT KNOW LEFT-WING POLITICS"

At the congress, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, by deploying his usual cunning, made statements that will go down in the history of political science and political philosophy as a fiasco by claiming that those who argue the CHP has shifted to the right 'do not know the right and the left,' and in fact, he revealed once again that he does not know what left-wing politics is.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu tried to explain that these were left-wing politics by giving examples of being on the side of paper collectors, women cleaning houses, apartment managers, and seasonal workers, and helping people in need."

"HE SAID NOTHING"

In other words, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu emptied the concept of the left once again by claiming that charity is left-wing politics; he said nothing about whether he is categorically against privatizations; whether all previously privatized public institutions will be re-nationalized; whether more taxes will be collected from those who earn more, and whether the tax burden on the middle class and the poor will be eased; whether organic and organized relations will be established with unions; whether quality and free education and health services will be provided in every province and district and about projects related to these; or whether he will change the broken system.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also said nothing about upholding the principle of secularism; the religiousization of education, politics, and staffing in the state; the encirclement of politics, law, the economy, and social life by religious sects and communities, and the measures that need to be taken against them; and he tried to cover up the fact that being a partner to anti-secular movements is also related to the CHP's shift to the right.

"WE WILL SEE TOGETHER"

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu losing the election at the congress could turn into a historic turning point. However, it remains uncertain to what extent and in what measure Özgür Özel, who was elected as the CHP chairman, differs from Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on these issues.

We will see together in time what Özgür Özel, who was previously part of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's administration and was a partner in all past mistakes, and who also shifted his political discourse during the congress process to win the congress, will be able to change and what he will not."