 Following the resignation of Deniz Baykal from the presidency of CHP, he was elected leader on May 23, 1999.He acted 15 months long at this post, before Deniz Baykal was reelected at the next extraordinary party congress in 2000.Altan Öymen resumed his journalist career, which he had interrupted during his party leadership, and is currently writing on political issues in his column in the newspaper "Radikal".