The CHP in the June and November 2015 elections: an evaluation on political impasse.

• Author: Gokmen, Yusuf Can
• Position: Republican People's Party

The CHP from the June 7 to November 1 Elections

Having considerably resolved its internal problems following the 18th Party Convention, the CHP had two remaining tasks to complete for the June 7 elections. The first was to designate the parliamentary candidates and the second was to appear before the electorate with an electoral declaration comprising of assertive pledges to attract more voters. (1) The CHP accomplished more than what was expected. By carrying out an internal election prior to the national elections, the CHP took an important step towards becoming a modern social-democratic party and adopting the principle of institutionalizing intra-party democracy. Abiding by the preferences of party members in these internal elections, the party administration placed the candidates who obtained the most votes at the top positions of the parliamentary candidate lists. Overall, the CHP may have achieved the highest degree of transparency in relation to the other parties' internal processes for the June 7 elections. This was because Kilicdaroglu paved the way for designating almost two thirds of parliamentary candidates, including himself, through the internal elections. This process revived the party's grassroots; further, it laid the grounds so that the base of other parties would place pressure on their party leadership. This could have a positive outcome and become more prevalent for future elections. Another tactic was to designate former DYP (Dogru Yol Partisi/True Path Party) members as candidates, especially in the east and southeast, in order to draw votes away from the AK Party in those regions. (2) The internal elections along with the effort to increase the number of women candidates in major cities created the potential for a new atmosphere in the party. Moreover, the CHP rejected to extend candidatures to the right wing of the party, as "right wing" candidates were often supported in the previous elections. This time around, they were either excluded from the lists or were placed in less important positions. The CHP list aimed to prevent the loss of social-democrat and youth votes to the HDP in key areas. In this sense, one of the features of the list was that it was based on not embarking on an adventure but "preserving its votes," according to those who consider that the CHP was not focused on making a major leap but on "preserving its votes." (3) The critics of the CHP's new internal elections claimed that the representative mechanisms were reduced to "representation of elites." We have to draw attention to the fact that certain professional groups failed to find a place or managed to find a very small place in the candidate list of the CHP: workers (trade unionists were excluded from the list or were placed in positions without any possibility for election), farmers and villagers, craftsmen, etc. These constituencies all failed to find any place in this system. (4)

However, although certain socio-economic groups were excluded, the CHP ran on a platform of "CHP for Everyone," a message given by Kilicdaroglu to mean that the institutional identity of the party has not been hijacked by any ideological identity. And the CHP should be a "catch-all party" The CHP intended to reposition itself with an image of a "mosaic party" that had projects for the post-modern times by including candidates from an array of political and ethnic standpoints, such as candidates of center-right wing origin, certain nationalist figures, representatives of the Roman and Armenian community, especially in major cities. This is what the CHP meant by "CHP for Everyone" and a "catch-all party" (5) During the process of designating candidates, CHP leaders wanted the party to have an image of "beyond right and left, but right in the center," based on its political actors. This was focused on winning in politics and would comply with the spirit of the time. The most modest reading of this slogan indicates that the CHP planned to extend its influence beyond the traditional right or left divide, and to pursue the centrist voters supporting the AK Party. (6)

Although it is undeniable that qualifications, identities, and abilities of candidates are among the factors that lead to voting for one party or another, what makes political parties reputable for their voters is the harmonization of their ideology, program, and actors. To understand how a party is perceived, statements and speeches made during the election campaign are the most important sources for analysis at hand during the June 7 election process. By examining the election campaign statements and speeches, we can better understand what kind of future the CHP imagines for Turkey and what kind of means and methods it intends to implement to see its vision become a reality. Among the slogans formulated for the June 7 election campaign, the most stressed one is "We Clap, We Clap Nationally; Vote and They Shall Go." How the CHP would build a different version of Turkey after the elections if it were to win was based on a strategy with four bases as expressed by Kilicdaroglu. The first basis is centered on the slogan, "Participatory Republic, Accountability of the State, Transparency." The second one is "A Turkey with a Competitive Power in the World." The third one is founded on a "Social State" emphasis and the fourth basis would be a "Sustainable Restructured State." The most important issue that drew attention in these slogan-like statements was the CHP's claim to present itself to the voters this time as a "Social-Democrat Party with Projects."

Each slogan represents a strategy and corollary projects that put emphasis on economic policy over the political. The goal was to appeal to voters based on economic needs and life style improvement. The CHP combined an economic and social policy message to propose to the voters a mixture of populism with economic growth. But the CHP went further than purely political sound bites and expressed how the programs would be implemented through concrete projects with the goal of a more "livable Turkey," as expressed by Kilicdaroglu. Hence this was the main thrust of the campaign slogans brandished by the CHP. Moreover, there was a need to emphasize the political current of social democracy that underpins CHP's movement and serves as a defining identity for its slogans and statements. (7) The CHP also wanted to connect with the voters through the optimistic message of hope and it expressed this through its slogan: "Major Transformation Aims for a Promising Future."

The CHP focuses on seven basic topics in its political, economic, social and cultural framework. These are "Freedom, Rule of Law and Democracy," "Inclusive Economy Generating Jobs," "Solidarity and Social Justice," "Quality Public Services for Citizens," "Urban and Environmental Rights," "Citizenry--and Value-Based Foreign Policy," and "Information Society." Under each topic first the problem is defined and then a pledge is made on what should be done and how. Each theme is materialized through the proposal of concrete projects. The difference for the CHP, this time, was that it placed the economy before politics through the creation of projects with a social content. It becomes easier to understand the logic of CHP's strategy based on economic factors, as they are determinant in the party choice of voters in Turkey. (8) The construction of an "alternative Turkey" presented by Kilicdaroglu, as a strategy with four bases, is meant to attract voters. The four bases are meant to indicate an evolution of what Turkey will become under the leadership of the CHP, such that first a participatory republic, accountability of the state, and transparency will emerge that will allow for an improved "Social State." The contrast that the CHP is making with the traditional left in Turkey is that it also wants to focus on the economic issues of growth, development, and production. Hence, the economy is seen as job generating and inclusive. However, the social component is considered as paramount to this alternative Turkey prospect since the CHP advocates that social welfare can only be achieved with human-oriented development. But it goes back full circle to the need for a growing economy that is based on the advancement of information and technology. The role attributed to the state is to support economic development. (9) The emphasis by the party that stable and inclusive growth can only be achieved through a strong social state stands out in these campaign slogans. Although campaign statements and government policies advocating for a market oriented-liberal...