Zülfü Livaneli prepares to challenge Baykal

As the extraordinary party congress that will be held on Jan. 29 and 30 nears, groups who want to replace Baykal, but don’t want Sarigül to be the new leader are holding a series of meetings in order to agree on a consensus candidate who would be acceptable for all sides.

Izmir deputy HakkI Ülkü said Livaneli gave them courage and would be the perfect leader to ensure the CHP would remain united after the congress.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Disciplinary Board (YDK), which will assess the applications filed against two of its own members and 15 deputies today. The anti-Baykal groups say that there are 132 more applications being processed as part of Baykal’s efforts to eliminate opposition to his leadership and prevent them from voting, before the congress.

SarIgül also continued his campaign for party leadership in Samsun, accompanied by nine CHP deputies and said that the CHP party leadership could no longer become an obstacle to the rule of the people, repeating his determination to lead the party to the government.