“Balanced” Good Party in preparation for 2019

In the Good Party, which has held its first ordinary congress to enable it to comply with its obligations to permit it to contest the election, General Chair Meral Akşener is putting together the staff to propel her to the 2019 elections. Akşener, who has put an end to internal-party dispute between those with an MHP past and figures coming from the centre right such as the DYP and ANAP by increasing the size of the party’s General Administrative Board (GAB) from 60 to 80, is also expected to apply the “balancing act” she implemented on the GAB to the Chairship Council that serves as the party’s shop window. There is talk of Akşener increasing the number of members of the Chairship Council from twelve to fifteen and bringing in as deputy chairs such figures as former MHP General Secretary Cihan Paçacı, former Turkish Confederation of Turkish Public Employees Union General Chair İsmail Koncuk, Mukadder Başeğmez whose roots stretch back to the Welfare Party and former ANAP parliamentarian Ahad Andican.

 Formula found for the GAP

 Following the Good Party’s first ordinary congress held the day before yesterday, eyes have turned to the Chairship Council that is slated for restructuring. Before the congress, complaints reached Akşener especially from figures who had been involved in politics in ANAP and the DYP that the party seemed to be a miniature version of the MHP and Akşener had pointed to the congress held the day before yesterday and noted that she would realign the party towards the centre-right. Akşener put an end to this internal-party dispute by increasing the number of members on the GAB; figures whom she had not included on the congress list she had previously formed from the party’s founding board entered the list at this congress. With a “balancing act” seemingly having been conducted among the names entering the list, it is stressed that the same balance will be applied on the Chairship Council making up the party’s core administrative staff. There is talk of new names having entered the GAB being included on the party’s Chairship Council list that Akşener will announce within one week. Of these figures, the most notable is former MHP General Secretary Cihan Paçacı, who conducted politics in the MHP for a long time but parted ways with the party due to the 2011 “cassette scandal.” Paçacı, who has supported Akşener since the extraordinary congress period in the MHP, has until now preferred to remain simply a member of the party’s founding board. Akşener reportedly told Paçacı that he should now be in the administration. It is indicated that, along with Paçacı, Deputy General Chair with Responsibility for Media and Propaganda, Ümit Özdağ, and Deputy General Chair with Responsibility for Organisational Affairs, Koray Aydın, will be on the council. It is said that Akşener will continue with Aydın on the party organisational structure, regardless of how much she is criticised for this, and will thus “send a message” to the MHP base through Aydın.

 From trade unionism to politics

 Another notable name from among the fresh entrants on the GAB is former Turkish Confederation of Turkish Public Employees Union General Chair, İsmail Koncuk. Koncuk numbers among those who have supported Akşener from the very outset and have ultranationalist roots. There is talk of Koncuk previously not being on the party’s administrative staff due to his trade union post but of his being in the team aligned to Akşener following his resignation. It is said that Akşener will appoint Koncuk on the new council to the post of Deputy General Chair with Responsibility for Education, Culture and the Arts. There is talk of Mukadder Başeğmez, who for years conducted politics on the staff of the Felicity Party, and former ANAP parliamentarian, Ahad Andican, who acted as the congress’s presiding board chair being included on the Chairship Council. Reputedly, Feridun Bahşi, who acted as Akşener’s lawyer in the MHP’s extraordinary congress period will be included by way of surprise on the council, and Bahşi will be brought in as Deputy General Chair with Responsibility for Legal and Electoral Affairs. It is thus notable that Akşener will head towards the 2019 elections with a council made up of names some from the MHP and some from the centre right. The word is also that, alongside these figures, Akşener will keep beside her such names as current Deputy General Chair with Responsibility for Communications and Technology, Taylan Yıldız, who came to Turkey at the Good Party’s invitation while working at Google, Deputy General Chair with Responsibility for the Economy, Durmuş Yılmaz, and Party General Secretary, Aytun Çıray.

 Aydın affair puts paid to Çirkin

 Former MHP Hatay Member of Parliament, Şefik Çirkin, is said to have been left off the list for having invited Koray Aydın to resign due to the organisational structuring in the party. On the party-internal WhatsApp group, Çirkin targeted Aydın without mentioning him by name following organisational structuring especially in provinces like Hatay and Osmaniye.

 http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/siyaset/952700/2019_icin__dengeli__iYi_Parti_hazirligi.html