Amendments have been proposed to the MDP's basic regulations, designating the party's chairperson as its supreme leader even during instances when the MDP holds government power, and requiring the chairperson to be appointed as the chief advisor to whoever holds the presidency.
At the MDP congress held tonight, decisions have been finalized to bring changes to the party's current basic regulations, which were passed in 2022. While debating on the matter is scheduled for Saturday morning, voting is set for the evening of that same day.
As the MDP has released the draft of its new basic regulations, an important article present in the currently enforced regulations has been omitted. That is the article designating the President of the Republic as the supreme leader of the party when the party is in power.
Instead, the new draft dictates that the supreme figure of the party is the chairperson. Furthermore, the individual serving as chairperson must not hold any other state-salaried position, which explicitly includes the office of the President of the Republic.
The draft of the new regulations states that if an MDP candidate is elected to the presidency, an agreement must be signed requiring consultation with the party's national council when forming the government and determining key policies.
Additionally, the draft specifies that while the party is in power, the chairperson must be made the President's chief advisor in order to strengthen relations between the government and the party.
If these changes to the basic regulations are enacted, the position of party chairperson will become significantly more powerful than it is currently.
Other leadership-related changes have also been included in the draft of the new regulations, such as the elimination of the posts of party president and vice president. In their place, the position of deputy chairperson (political) has been added.
Currently, the existing posts are the deputy chairperson for finance and administrative affairs. Out of these three positions, the regulations specify that at least one must be held by a female member.
According to the new regulations, secretariat employees, including the chairperson, are strictly prohibited from competing in internal elections and actively participating in campaigns.
The regulatory draft states:
- Any secretariat employee wishing to compete in an internal election must notify the chairperson in writing at least one month prior to the holding of that election.
- If an employee submits such a notice, they must be distanced from their responsibilities until the election concludes, and if elected to the contested position, their employment at the secretariat will be terminated.
- No secretariat employee may express support for an internal election candidate or actively work in their campaign.
- If a secretariat employee has a conflicting interest with someone contesting an election, or if a situation arises that could question the fairness of the election, the committee organizing and running the election holds the authority to temporarily bar that employee from executing their positional responsibilities.
