Court issues stay of execution on changes made at MHP snap congress

ANKARA

A local court has issued a stay of execution on changes made to the opposition Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) internal regulations during a snap congress on June 19, amid complaints from the party administration over the legality of the amendments. 

An Ankara civil court issued a stay of execution regarding changes made to the MHP bylaws, the party’s lawyer Yücel Bulut announced on June 24. 

The opposition bloc changed 14 articles of the internal regulations instead of the previously announced single amendment at the congress. MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli and his aides have argued that these extra changes would likely be nullified by the Supreme Court of Appeals. 

The MHP’s internal struggle for a leadership change took a new course following the extraordinary party convention held in Ankara on June 19, despite resistance from Bahçeli. 

Led by four prominent candidates, namely Meral Akşener, Sinan Oğan, Ümit Özdağ and Koray Aydın, the opposition group was able garner enough support to hold the convention. 

The initial aim of the convention was to remove the article that made a leadership change at an extraordinary convention impossible. However, last minute proposals to change more articles of the internal regulation to prevent the MHP from imposing disciplinary actions against Bahçeli rivals created a political and legal dispute. 

Oğan, Özdağ and Aydın have said they had no information about these changes, implying their unease with the Akşener-led move.

Meanwhile, Republican People’s Party (CHP) chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu caused controversy when he claimed the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) is plotting to transfer MHP lawmakers to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in order to facilitate the adoption of a new constitution.

Oktay Vural, the party’s İzmir deputy, dismissed the claim as “intimidation.”