’Silent’ rebel within CHP ranks

The CHP trying to divert the group’s attention from the governing Justice and Development Party, or AKP, to themselves is inviting women in black-chadors to the party as members and promising for Koran courses. Apparently, all these are approved by the CHP Leader Deniz Baykal. But how all these are being evaluated in the party grassroots or in the party’s general board? What do the CHP deputies say about such openings?

The pulse among the CHP members is not as good as it is in the upper administration levels. Forget about giving support to the new opening, a group of CHP deputies even disagree with Baykal and the party administration. In order to steal away the votes of Islamic circles, which are thought to have been directed to the AKP, the CHP seems to forget the slogan "We are losing laicism" and that causes a great deal of concerns among the CHP members. Reactions are rising behind the closed doors but none is being shared with the public. The opponents inside term these reactions "silent rebel" and justify the silence as "not to harm the party on the eve of the elections."

A CHP representative I ran across in Parliament, I should add that he is an opponent, says, "Until yesterday we were screaming the place down like ’we are losing laicism, Koran courses are out of hand’É The black-chador and now Koran courses moves yet we have pushed aside the fight for laicism against anti-laics. The CHP should give up on similar conjuncture moves..."

Examples are plenty but at this point it’s beneficial to hear out CHP Konya Deputy Atilla Kart, who is also a member of the Constitutional Commission. Kart implicitly criticizes the party administration. The problem stems from that Koran courses are not offered by the Religious Affairs Directorate and they are not in the frame of the Article 24 in the Constitution either, according to Kart. What he means, "Koran courses should no longer be controlled by religion sheikhs or communities. They should be controlled by the stateÉ."

He reminds the collapse of a Koran course building and the tragedy following, on Aug. 12, 2008 in Konya. "While there are buildings for Koran courses that all guaranteed by the Constitution, children are being sent to illegal educational institutions. We should question thisÉ"

Using Koran courses as a political gimmick in advance of the polls doesn’t seem a viable move, he said. The "silent rebel" is on the prowl. I think the following comment of a party member heralds the approaching storm in the post-election period: "If CHP loses İzmir and Çankaya district in Ankara in addition to other social democrat fronts despite the said initiatives, it may have to move and to change the party leader..."

SECOND ARTICLE

Bad news for collectors of artworks

The bill suggesting an amendment in the Preservation of Cultural and Natural Assets Law was approved in calm earlier this week. A detail, on the other hand, was completely forgotten. The fourth item on the bill was criticized to bring "amnesty for historic artifact smugglers." Şenol Bal of the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, and his deputy friends submitted a petition on the subject.

The government agreed as well and it was approved. The petition reads that immovable cultural assets owned by art collectors and registered in the inventory of museums before March 11, 2005 shall not be sold or changed. Pieces that are decided to be parts of the said assets and that are considered as parts of the museum collections shall be possessed by the Culture and Tourism Ministry. What there is to say? This is good news for ordinary people but a bad one for collectors...

THIRD ARTICLE

’Don’t stop there’

The most colorful persona in Parliament and an ardent Justice and Development Party, or AKP, opponent, Tunceli independent deputy Kamer Genç lent his support to the government for first time ever. In Tunceli, his hometown, people were given white good appliances for free before the elections.

Genç smiled and made the following comment: "Actually I don’t want to make any comment because they may stop distributing goods. Since the government hands out appliances, I would be delighted more if apartment flats are distributed as well." Genç has developed a reputation in Parliament and elsewhere for his long rants at the ruling AKP’s policies and stance at every possible opportunity.