WordBulletin

World Bulletin / News Desk

 Leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was elected deputy chairman of the Socialist International (SI) in the organization's 24th congress held in Cape Town on Thursday.

Kılıçdaroğlu addressed participants of the congress with a speech in which he drew attention to the global financial crisis and unemployment worldwide.

“It is possible to come out of the global financial crisis through strong leadership and convincing economic programs,” he said. The CHP chairman added that heavy responsibility falls on the shoulders of the world's socialists to fight poverty and unemployment. “I believe that we will be able to fulfill our responsibility thanks to strong solidarity under the roof of the SI,” he added.

A delegation from the SI came to Turkey in 2008 to investigate whether the CHP is adhering to the principles of the SI. The CHP often receives criticism from SI members, who say the party's “nationalist rhetoric” is in violation of universal democratic standards.

Kılıçdaroğlu also called on SI members during his speech to work for the “transformation of the international system established after World War II into a system to respond to today's needs.”

“International organizations functioning in financial and monetary domains should be restructured. All organizations which fail to provide justice and fairness to all people should be restructured in line with the principles of equality instead of the existing principle of power,” he stated.