Cooling Election Fever in the Opposition Party Amidst Struggle Over Unification

Ahn Cheol-soo Proposed Opening Primary Election Platform, but Kim Jong-in Opposes

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The opposition parties, who are only engaged in a power struggle over the unification rules for the Seoul mayoral opposition candidate, are struggling to find common ground.

According to political circles on the 20th, in order to open the 'primary platform' proposed by Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, the People Power Party must go through the process of amending its party constitution. According to Article 6, Chapter 2 of the People Power Party’s constitution, the eligibility to run for election is limited to responsible party members. Therefore, people who do not hold membership in the People Power Party, such as Leader Ahn or former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop, cannot participate in this party’s primary. Leader Ahn holds the position that the People Power Party, the main opposition party, can serve as the primary platform for the entire opposition.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Leader Ahn has pointed out the unfairness of the method in which, as a party leader, he would have to leave his party and join another party to participate in the primary. He expressed discomfort, saying, "In the history of Korean politics, I have never seen a party leader being asked to leave their party by the opposing party."

However, the leadership of the People Power Party is maintaining a negative stance toward Ahn’s proposal for now. Kim Jong-in, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, said the day before, "Since we are in the process of conducting the first primary, I think it is not too late to discuss unification after completing all procedures," and clearly opposed it by saying, "It cannot be accepted." However, the People Power Party’s nomination management committee showed a cautious attitude. Jung Jin-seok, chairman of the People Power Party’s nomination committee, stated on Facebook that "It is not much different from the ‘one-shot primary’ that Leader Ahn has preferred so far," but expressed his intention to listen to opinions within the party.

Kim Jin-pyo, chairman of the Democratic Party’s nomination management committee, also shook his head at the possibility of an open platform primary by the opposing People Power Party. On the same day, Kim appeared on KBS Radio’s ‘Kim Kyung-rae’s Strongest Current Affairs’ and expressed a skeptical outlook, saying, "Such a primary (open platform primary) cannot be done arbitrarily by anyone."

Meanwhile, Leader Ahn is increasing contact with citizens by holding a meeting with merchants in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, on the same day. At this meeting, they discuss the difficulties faced by small business owners due to the government’s COVID-19 quarantine measures and support plans. Candidates for the People Power Party’s Seoul mayoral nomination, including former lawmaker Na Kyung-won, former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, former lawmakers Lee Jong-gu, Kim Sun-dong, Oh Shin-hwan, Professor Kim Geun-sik, Seocho District Mayor Cho Eun-hee, and former Songpa District Mayor Park Chun-hee, gathered in one place in the afternoon to hold a presentation titled ‘The Lost 10 Years of Park Won-soon’s Administration, a Promise for a New Leap.’