Several members of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) came together on Friday to propose a new code for the party named the Democratic Digital Revolution, aiming to have a more inclusive party structure with an emphasis on digitalization that would attract more youth.
Organized under the leadership of the former member of the CHP party assembly, Bedri Baykam, and heavyweights including Ercan Karakaş, Fikri Sağlar, Tolga Yarman, Ömer Faruk Eminağaoğlu, Ilhan Cihaner, Tevfik Kızgınkaya, Kemal Akkurt, Suay Karaman and Mustafa Pınar, the intraparty dissident group aims to elevate the main opposition party with this new code and point out the problems within the party that might be the reason behind its decadeslong position as an opposition party.
During a press conference in Istanbul on Friday, Baykam said they are not planning to form a separate movement or distance themselves from the party, despite their criticism of the current administration. Instead, Baykam underlined that they intend to reform the party's structure with the new code and enable all party members to have a say in the administration and the decision-making process.
One of the most groundbreaking innovations in the proposed code is electing the presidential candidates, the party's chairperson, assembly members, deputies and mayoral candidates through a process that includes all the party members.
"We do not want another Ekmeleddin disaster," Baykam said, referring to Ekmeleddin Ihsanoğlu, who ran against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as the CHP candidate in Turkey's first presidential election via popular vote in 2014.
The former Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) secretary-general's joint candidacy with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) came as a shock to many supporters of the party since he was not a well-known figure for the Turkish public at the time and wasn't a member of the CHP. In fact, he was from a more conservative, right-wing background, and went on to serve as a deputy from the MHP, which raised many eyebrows in the CHP's voter base.
Another crucial suggestion in the proposed code is the demand for a chairperson who lost two consequent general elections to lose his/her chair, leading the party to an extraordinary congress process with the possibility of selecting a new leader. During this congress, which will last for three days, the party leader and his/her team will listen to all the members' speeches – regardless of whether they are critical or supportive – and will behold accountable for their actions with the expectation of an explanation. According to Baykam and his colleagues, such a method should have been used within the party for the past 30 years.
Under the leadership of Chairperson Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu since 2010, the CHP has suffered nine successive nationwide election defeats. Back in 2019, during the local polls, yet another defeat occurred, with a slight consolation this time since the party managed to win over three metropolitan provinces: Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. Apart from poor performances in the elections, the critics also accuse him of mismanagement and hypocrisy in terms of criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for so-called "one-man rule," while maintaining a firm grip on the party. They claim that Kılıçdaroğlu has become a pioneer of the one-man rule as he has failed to step down even though the party has lost numerous elections under his leadership. The dissidents also criticize the CHP for nominating individuals who seem to contradict the party's ideology and principles and for failing to hold offenders accountable for their mistakes.
Recently, the former presidential candidate of the CHP, Muharrem Ince, launched the Homeland in A Thousand Days campaign and resigned from the party. This move triggered a series of resignations, the latest of which came on Feb. 28 when Teoman Sancar, a lawmaker from western Denizli province, announced he was parting ways with the CHP.
The new code also proposes all members of the party have smart cards that would integrate the party into the digital world. Through these smart cards, the members will be able to participate in the decision-making process on every topic that concerns the party. The cards will also lead to the removal of the delegate status, which was previously acting as representatives of the members in the election processes. Besides, during the congress, the open lists will be reflected on TV, and in this way, even the members who stayed at their homes will be able to vote online through their smart cards.
The party chairperson will no longer elect the members of the party's Central Executive Committee (MYK), the code states; instead, they will be elected by the party assembly members from within the assembly. According to the code, whoever gains a position through an election within the party will also leave his/her position through an election, which would eliminate intraparty fighting causing anyone to be relieved of their duty.
The proposed code also prioritizes the involvement of youth and women in the CHP and Turkish politics in general.
Baykam, 63, whose father was CHP Deputy Suphi Baykam, is a painter who has been involved in politics for decades now. Back in 1995, Baykam was elected as a member of the CHP party assembly and served in the position for three years. Then, back in 2003, he was one of the candidates for the CHP's leadership.