CHP leader set to run in primaries for democracy

Kemal K?l?çdaro?lu, chairman of the social democrat opposition party, has opted to run in party primaries before the 2015 parliamentary polls in response to calls from ?zmir as well as to emphasize the meaning of democracy, particularly when it has been losing import in Turkey.

"I hope my decision to run for internal elections will set an example for all of Turkey to emphasize the meaning of democracy at a moment when it has been losing its meaning," said K?l?çdaro?lu, leader of Republican People's Party (CHP), on his Twitter account March 19. K?l?çdaro?lu will run in ?zmir, one of the strongholds of the CHP.

Answering questions from a small group reporters traveling with him to Elaz??, K?l?çdaro?lu explained how he took this decision, a rather rare move given the political traditions of the country. "Our mayor in ?zmir proposed to me that I run for primary elections [from ?zmir]. It was a surprise proposal for me, too. I said I would consider it, and after listening to the calls of the city, I decided to run for pre-elections," he said.

Underlining that he was not worried by primaries, K?l?çdaro?lu said he would fully respect the choices of the CHP delegates who will vote in pre-elections. Asked whether his move was also a message toward senior CHP officials who tend not to compete in primaries but instead seek guaranteed positions to enter parliament, he said: "Lots of thing will change at the CHP. Of course we respect the decisions of all of our members. However, forcing someone to enter the pre-elections is as wrong as forcing quotas.
 
Every political party should, of course, have a quota. Pre-elections should be a chance given to everyone, especially those who are starting up in politics. But we always favor those who have...