The board of political party Denk has stepped down following the resignation of party leader Stephan van Baarle in a row over the selection of candidates for the general election.

Van Baarle quit last week with a post on social media in which he accused the board of “undermining my role as party leader”.

Denk’s other two MPs and its local party branches all backed Van Baarle and called for chairman Ejder Köse and the rest of the board to be replaced.

On Sunday the two sides published a joint statement saying the board members had agreed to resign. Former party leader Tunahun Kuzu, one of the two MPs who founded Denk in 2015, was proposed as the new chairman.

“The party’s management board is convinced that Mr Kuzu’s experience and standing within the party make him the right person for the role,” the statement said.

It is not clear if Van Baarle will seek to return as party leader once the new management board is in place.

Opinion polls currently indicate that Denk is on course to retain its three seats in parliament when voters go to the polls on October 29. The party draws its support mainly from minority ethnic communities in urban areas.