KONDA CEO Ağırdır: 45% seeking a party

The CHP held a series of meetings one after the other yesterday at headquarters, chaired by General Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. The morning started with the Party Assembly, Supreme Disciplinary Board and parliamentary group coming to headquarters and listening to a presentation titled “Turkish Foundation for Social, Economic and Political Research - Strategic Assessments in the Run-Up to 2019” compiled by KONDA CEO Bekir Ağırdır. Social and political change since 2002 was addressed in the presentation. Following the presentation of around two hours’ duration, the Party Assembly meeting was held. From what has been learnt, in his presentation, Ağırdır spoke of the reality of a polarisation and of this being experienced in the entire world and not just Turkey. Ağırdır said, “In spite of this, there is a 45% floating vote. This 45% has no party. This is a very high level. This is your advantage. These people long for change but cannot find a structure that promises change. The CHP must inspire hope. The CHP must be their utopia.”

 Open the doors to the young

 Ağırdır, noting that, to the question, “Which country do you want Turkey to be?” 80% gave the name of a European country and a group amounting to only 2% uttered the name of a Middle Eastern Country governed under Sharia, said, “You must wage a democratisation fight against the system. You must give voice to freedom. The basic expectation of 80% of society is for justice to be founded. Society wants justice, freedom and equality.” Ağırdır, also voicing criticism of the CHP, commented, “Your voters themselves want to nominate both mayors, and MPs and also party administrators. If you tell youngsters who stand aloof from politics and do not wish to conform to a hierarchic structure, “This is our candidate,” they will remain distant from you. Open your doors and windows to the full, open the party to the young and do not fear new thoughts coming into the party.” Ağırdır, counselling those in the CHP to overcome such fears as, “If we say that, we will be branded in such a way and the ruling body will describe us in such a way,” stressed that these fears were for nothing. Ağırdır remarked, “Let the ruling body not delineate the political boundaries for you; the space for conducting politics is in any case narrowing. You can break down this space with new ideas, radical decisions and a dynamic structure.” Ağırdır, saying that voters did not just vote by looking at Kılıçdaroğlu, and provincial and sub-provincial chairs also needed to be people who were as trustworthy as the general chair, were capable of representing and spoke about politics, said, “Voters do not just look at Kılıçdaroğlu. They also look at the provincial administrator.” Ağırdır noted that people in the CHP should refrain from saying, “They’ll steal the votes” when it came to electoral integrity. He apparently cautioned, “There is both no truth to it, and it keeps voters away from the polls. You must instil hope and trust in society.”

KONDA Genel Müdürü Ağırdır: Yüzde 45 parti arıyor