Disputes between CHP, İP out of control

DISAGREEMENTS between the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the far-right Good Party (İP), over candidates in certain provinces and districts, has now hit municipal council lists ahead of next month’s local elections.

In the southeastern Gaziantep province, the alliance between the CHP and the İP was shaken over disagreements on the municipal council lists. According to the Turkish daily Yeni Şafak, the quota allocated for the İP in the municipal council have led to tension in the CHP and two individuals allegedly threatened its Gaziantep Provincial Head Melih Meriç with a gun Monday.

Later in a written statement, Meriç and the executive board members announced they were resigning from their posts, claiming they made the decision due to the difficulties experienced in preparing the lists.

Meriç noted that they sent their resignation letters to the CHP headquarters, referring to the uncompromising attitude of the party base, which is “far from” what they had imagined for the province. “We decided to quit from the administration in order to not harm our party,” he added.

He was appointed to the provincial office about a month ago to replace the previous provincial head, Hayri Sucu, who was dismissed by CHP headquarters because he was “violating party bylaw.”

İP provincial head Mehmet Serkan Karakuş and district head of the Şahinbey district Halil İbrahim Kaya, on the other hand, resigned after accusing their party of failing to manage the alliance process with the CHP in Gaziantep.

However, İP Vice Chairman Koray Aydın on Twitter announced that the party administration had rejected their resignations.

CHP mayoral candidate in Gaziantep’s Şahinbey district, Sezgin Sönmez also waived his candidacy Monday. He claimed that he was receiving “negative energy” from his colleagues and the district organization which would “take a heavy toll” on the party.

The CHP has also faced a series of disputes in the western Black Sea province of Zonguldak as mistrust grows within the party administration over nominations for the upcoming local elections. The CHP district organization has been in disarray for some time due to the candidate nomination process and alliance talks with its alliance partner, İP. Accordingly, the İP decided to field a candidate in northern Zonguldak’s Ereğli district after its alliance with the CHP broke down over the “tactless attitude” of the CHP candidate, said İP provincial head.

Standing behind the alliance between the two parties, CHP Group Vice Chairman Özgür Özel made a symbolic gesture Monday, saying he would vote for İP in the upcoming local elections as a part of the alliance strategy.

The contrast between the bases of the CHP and the İP has come to light after the party administrations agreed to continue their political alliance on Dec. 12.