The notary office that kept the count of delegates that attended Sunday's emergency convention held by the dissidents of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) to change the party bylaws revealed the number as 656, more than the total number of delegates according to the dissidents' claim.
The Ankara 13th Notary Office declared that 656 delegates attended the emergency convention, which was declared illegal by the party administration and incumbent chairman Devlet Bahçeli, who has ruled the party since 1997.
Following Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) dissidents' months-long struggle to hold an emergency convention, the intra-party opposition gathered in Ankara on Sunday to change party bylaws that prohibit them from electing a chairman at emergency conventions.
The court-appointed organizing committee declared that 752 out of total party 1,186 delegates attended the emergency convention, in which the dissidents changed the bylaws at yesterday's convention with overwhelming support.
The dissidents also agreed that they will attend the emergency leadership convention set for July 10. However, the party administration contested this statement and said that only 495 legally valid delegates have signed up for a convention, which meant that the convention was invalid.
The party administration stated that the delegate count information, along with decisions to amend party bylaws and convention council's official report, to the Supreme Court of Appeals' public prosecutor's office to declare whether the convention was held in accordance with laws.
