CHP to hold several strategic meetings for 2019 elections

The Republican People's Party (CHP) has accelerated efforts to draw the road map for the 2019 local, general and presidential elections. CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is expected to hold several meetings with deputies, members of the party assembly, mayors and provincial chairs to finalize the party's electoral strategies.

According to Habertürk daily's report, Kılıçdaroğlu will meet with the deputies on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the 2019 election preparations, possible alliance options, and the strategy that the party will follow in the new term.

Furthermore, the Public Opinion Research Institution (KONDA) general manager Bekir Ağırdır will make a presentation on Friday named "Strategic Evaluations Toward 2019" to party deputies, assembly members and members of the Higher Disciplinary Board (YDK).

CHP's preparations will continue next week with meetings for the local elections. The local election strategy paper that the party administration has been working on will be screened with the mayors in Konya province on April 12-13. The meeting is scheduled to address the responsibilities that should be taken by current mayors, strategies to be followed in the elections and the ways to determine future mayor candidates. The consultation meetings will conclude with a meeting of provincial chairs on April 27-28 in Kayseri province.

Following the meetings, the main opposition party will reportedly begin to search favorable mayor candidates for the municipalities which are not under the CHP administration. Prominent names in the general polls and the intra-party opinion polls will be announced before the Supreme Election Board (YSK) defines the electoral calendar.

CHP Yalova deputy Muharrem İnce, who has been a staunch intra-party dissident against Kılıçdaroğlu, is also expected to be announced as the CHP's mayor candidate for Ankara in the next local elections.

It is expected that the CHP's road map for the 2019 elections, ways to nominate the presidential candidate and what the profile of the candidate should be finally be clarified.

Following a series of meetings with other parties for possible alliances, the main opposition party still does not have a final candidate for the upcoming elections.

Currently, the CHP is dealing with intra-party proble

ms that focus on the Kılıçdaroğlu's rising authoritarian rule.

Last month, the CHP chairman was criticized for not taking party members' opinions into consideration while changing party bylaws. Kılıçdaroğlu also recently banned unauthorized media appearances and overseas trips for party deputies.