Extraordinary congress preparations accelerate in CHP

Zeynel Emre announced that the signature process for the extraordinary congress in CHP has accelerated, the number has exceeded 850, and the goal is to surpass 1000.

As the signature process for the extraordinary congress in CHP gains momentum, a critical schedule is unfolding before the party management. CHP Istanbul Deputy Zeynel Emre stated that the number of signatures collected from delegates has quickly exceeded 850, and the goal is to reach a figure surpassing 1000.

Emre emphasized that after the process around the names removed from duty by court decision and the party's internal committees, they saw it as mandatory for the party to go to the congress. According to him, missing the deadline is not only a political risk but also brings a scenario that could have severe consequences for the party's participation in elections and its assets.

Highlights

Zeynel Emre announced that the number of signatures has reached over 850 during the signature process.
The party management aims to collect more than 1000 signatures for the extraordinary congress.
It was announced that Özgür Özel will participate in election campaigns in some provinces on Friday and Saturday.
Emre argued that the congress schedule has become a matter of existence for the party.

Statement after the meeting at the Grand National Assembly

Özgür Özel, who was removed from the CHP Chairmanship by court decision, met with some deputies at the Grand National Assembly. After the meeting, Emre stated that both the organizational and legal processes in the party have accelerated, and the delegates are acting accordingly.

Emre also noted that elections will be held this weekend in 6 locations that regained town status. Additionally, he announced that Özgür Özel will participate in election campaigns in Trabzon, Gümüşhane, Tokat, Amasya, and Nevşehir on Friday and Saturday.

Signature count rose quickly

Emre recalled that the Istanbul provincial organization was removed from duty by court decision, yet there are 1134 congress delegates in Istanbul. He said they reached over 600 delegates on the first day and that the number of signatures exceeded 850 by the end of the second day.

Emre stated that the party's goal is to complete the national extraordinary congress request with a number of signatures exceeding 1000, and he claimed that the appearance of unity within the organization is clearly seen during this process. He also said that names with different views within the party share a similar opinion about the urgency of the congress.

Court decision and internal party debate

Emre explained that the court decision removed the serving Chairman, Central Executive Committee, Party Assembly, and High Disciplinary Board, and that previous committees were appointed temporarily and provisionally. He also interpreted the omission of the Central Executive Committee in the decision as a sign of political engineering.

In his speech, he reminded that the Supreme Election Council previously allowed elections in structures with provisional and temporary committees. Emre said there are similar examples in election law history and expressed that no court decision can nullify the will of the delegates and the party bylaws.

Why is the congress schedule critical?

Emre said that according to the Political Parties Law, parties must hold their ordinary congresses every two years, which can be extended by one year. He stated that after the court decision, the date reverted to November 4-5, 2023, and the last valid congress was held in July 2020.

Within this framework, Emre said CHP must hold a congress by July 25, 2026, and if this period is exceeded, the party may not participate in elections and its assets could be recorded as state revenue. He also mentioned that the Constitutional Court has previously made clear decisions on this matter.

Background: The congress debate in CHP turned into an accelerated internal schedule following court decisions. The party management aims to go to the extraordinary congress with signatures collected from delegates and complete the process quickly.

At the end of his statement, Emre said that the Parliamentary Presidency gave an opinion in accordance with the legislation regarding CHP group meetings and pointed to the will of the elected group. He noted that Özel conducted separate consultation tours with deputies and that the debates within the party revolve around the need for the congress.

The process seems likely to remain on the agenda in the coming days both in terms of CHP's internal functioning and legal schedule. The level to which the number of signatures collected for the congress will reach and how the party will manage the schedule are among the most critical topics of the process.

Highlights

Zeynel Emre announced that the number of signatures has reached over 850 during the signature process.
The party management aims to collect more than 1000 signatures for the extraordinary congress.
It was announced that Özgür Özel will participate in election campaigns in some provinces on Friday and Saturday.
Emre argued that the congress schedule has become a matter of existence for the party.