Şener ready to debut new party
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Daily News with wires
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 14, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - A former deputy prime minister who quit the ruling party just before the 2007 general elections is expected to announce the forming of a new political party toward the end of this month.
Abdüllatif Şener, who was the economy minister and deputy prime minister until the general elections of July 22, 2007, has described the drop in support for the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, in this year’s March 29 local elections as a "turning point," adding that he would be establishing his new party shortly after April 20. According to the daily Radikal newspaper, Şener will announce his new party on April 26 and present its founding members Ğ including some 40 former deputies and ministers Ğ to the public. Şener and his colleagues are expected to file their application for the new party on April 27.
Şener, who was a popular minister between 2002 and 2007, surprised many when he announced his intention not to run for Parliament in the 2007 election, saying he had decided to retire from politics and return to teaching economics at the university level.One of the founding members of the AKP, Şener first entered Parliament in 1991. He served as finance minister before helping establish the ruling party in 2000 and serving as the deputy prime minister. According to Radikal, Şener’s aim is to prepare for the general elections in 2011. In a previous interview, Şener had said he wanted to create a group strong on economic affairs "because the near future will be dominated by economics." "People known and respected by the public for their economic competence will be included in this group," he said. "However, beyond that, we will be open to everyone who can perceive the issues in their entirety, irrespective of their beliefs."
Şener, who was a popular minister between 2002 and 2007, surprised many when he announced his intention not to run for Parliament in the 2007 election, saying he had decided to retire from politics and return to teaching economics at the university level.One of the founding members of the AKP, Şener first entered Parliament in 1991. He served as finance minister before helping establish the ruling party in 2000 and serving as the deputy prime minister. According to Radikal, Şener’s aim is to prepare for the general elections in 2011. In a previous interview, Şener had said he wanted to create a group strong on economic affairs "because the near future will be dominated by economics." "People known and respected by the public for their economic competence will be included in this group," he said. "However, beyond that, we will be open to everyone who can perceive the issues in their entirety, irrespective of their beliefs."