The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (HEDEP) Spokesperson Ayşegül Doğan held a press conference at HDP Headquarters regarding the decisions taken by the party's Central Executive Committee (MYK) regarding the upcoming local elections in Turkey and North Kurdistan scheduled for 31 March.

"Our people asked us to enter the elections everywhere with our candidates", Doğan said and stated that this situation was discussed in the relevant committees, as well as at the Central Executive Committee meeting.

"Our MYK discussed and evaluated it seriously and the tendency to enter the local elections with our candidates everywhere in Turkey emerged. This decision will be evaluated at the party assembly as a proposal of the MYK. As we had announced before, our candidate applications in the places where we are the first and second party started on 27 November and will continue until 10 December. Our commissions were also established in the western provinces. In other words, we have completed our preparations to enter the local elections with our own candidates all over Turkey."

'Our strategy is to win'

Ayşegül Doğan continued her speech as follows:

"Our local election strategy is not to have others lose or win, but to win. How and with what? Winning through urban consensus. One of the most important things we will do in this process is a new pre-election model that our commission for local elections and local governments has been working on for days, both in the field, and also with reports and research. We periodically make statements and evaluations on this issue. We will determine our candidates through primary elections everywhere, that is, wherever there are conditions. We want the primary elections to take place in every province and district in a way that our participatory, ecological, gender-emancipatory local governance approach, in which the demand for peace, freedom and equality is visible, almost like a feast of democracy. We will achieve this through urban consensus while nominating candidates.

What does urban consensus mean? The broadest consensus. Trying to hear every voice in the city. When nominating a candidate, reaching out to the widest segments in the place where we nominate a candidate and trying to hear every voice. To determine the people who will govern the city by including that voice. This is also a first. It is a first like this. Normally, in classical primary election models, party members can vote. In the primary election model we have developed, not only the members of our party, not only the members of the constituent parties, but also democratic mass organisations, our families, those who have made an effort, those who have served as administrators, can take responsibility in this process, be with us and vote. Therefore, we will determine our candidates with the participation and consensus of all those who work for the right to the city. We will determine not only the co-mayors, but also two-thirds of our municipal council members and provincial general assembly members through primary elections. We are excited, determined, hopeful, we will win. We are preparing to enter the elections with our candidates all over Turkey. Those who are trying to make the trustees permanent should know that those who volunteer, vote for our party and pay a heavy price for this will give the strongest answer to the trustee regime by winning for themselves and their cities."