Alliance of AKP-MHP in a tight spot

The election alliance, which was set by Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalists Movement Party (MHP), in Turkey, commonly known as The Public Alliance, reportedly designated a new strategy when the results of an election survey failed to satisfy them.

Both AKP and MHP, which have previously made public their candidates for the upcoming local elections, sat at the table after the risk of the poll defeat emerged. The mentioned risk has risen due to AKP and MHP entering the local elections with their own candidates in 49 provinces where the two parties did not manage to form an alliance.

The alliance will encompass all 81 provinces of Turkey

Reportedly, during the meeting, it was agreed that the alliance will encompass all 81 provinces of Turkey.  Details of which cities and districts to go with each candidate and which party will withdraw their candidate in the provinces will become clear after negotiations between the two parties.

According to the news of Cumhuriyet Daily, AKP Deputy General Chairman Mehmet Özhaseki and MHP Deputy General Chairman Sadir Durmaz held a meeting on Tuesday. According to the news report, it was decided that the two parties will extend the scope of the alliance, as the election surveys did not meet the requirements of the alliance.

Waiting for analysis

According to news reports, AKP and MHP will determine how they will plan the alliance in the 49 different provinces following the conclusion of analyses. Except for the metropolises, allegedly, the two parties will plan an alliance in 15-20 cities following the nature of the talks between the delegations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and MHP Leader Devlet Bahçeli might get together again for new talks.

Alliance talks are continuing mainly for the provinces of Hakkari, Şırnak, Batman, Siirt, Ağrı, Bitlis and Tunceli, where the municipalities are being governed by trusties arbitrarily appointed by the government after taking the municipalities from the hands of the Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP), and the provinces of Burdur, Giresun, Çanakkale and MHP’s stronghold, Kars, where the alliance thinks they could possibly win the municipalities in those provinces.

MHP will withdraw its candidate in both Hakkari and Şırnak where the soldier and police population is relatively high, while AKP will probably leave Kars and Iğdır to MHP.

Talks for City Councils

Previously, AKP and MHP had taken a principled decision to enter city council elections on a different list, but the two parties backed down from this decision and took the issue to the scope of the alliance. The two parties will determine which city councils they will take following the talks between AKP and MHP.

Application files of resisting candidates to be cancelled

At the meetings, the two parties also spoke about the possible resistance and resentment in the provinces where the candidates will be withdrawn. Allegedly, if they face the possibility of resistance, then the application files of the resistant candidates will not be accepted, and their candidacy will be cancelled before the election.

In the local elections, candidacy applications are made by the management board of city and county councils. The applicant files are given to the city and county councils before February 19, but it is alleged that files of resistant candidates are not handed in before this date and therefore their candidacy is prevented.

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from IPA NEWS https://ipa.news/2019/02/15/alliance-of-akp-mhp-in-a-tight-spot/