Ahn Cheol-soo: "Delay in Opposition Unification Entirely Due to People Power Party's Internal Issues"

"No evaluation process after by-elections"
"Despite election landslide, opposition party support remains stagnant"

Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, is being interviewed at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 17th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporters Naju-seok and Geum Bo-ryeong] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, expressed frustration over the stalled merger talks with the People Power Party, saying, "We are waiting entirely because of internal circumstances within the People Power Party. Isn’t this a situation where even one more person’s support is crucial for the entire opposition to have a chance to win?"

In an interview with Asia Economy on the 17th, Ahn voiced concerns, explaining, "When I discussed with former floor leader Joo Ho-young of the People Power Party, I thought the merger wouldn’t be difficult, but the current floor leader Kim Gi-hyun says we need to discuss it after the new leadership is elected." He added, "Although the People Power Party’s parliamentary meeting adopted a resolution in favor of integration, the parliamentary meeting is a decision-making body within the legislature, not the party’s decision-making body." He further explained, "The party’s decision-making body is usually the Supreme Council, and in the case of the People Power Party now, it is the Emergency Response Committee, but there are reportedly quite a few members within the Emergency Committee who oppose it."

Moreover, one of the reasons for advocating a ‘post-convention merger’ is the potential controversy over ‘voting rights’ if the merger occurs before the party convention that elects the People Power Party’s leader and Supreme Council members. There is concern that it is difficult to predict where the existing People’s Party members’ votes, gained through the merger, will go. Ahn said, "Since the candidates for party leader cannot calculate the pros and cons, there is a voice saying let’s just merge after the convention." He added, "We are waiting because of internal circumstances within the People Power Party, but I cannot understand why the People’s Party’s recruitment of regional committee heads during this time is causing controversy."

Ahn also expressed concerns about the opposition’s response following the April 7 by-elections. He said, "The opposition’s approval ratings have either stagnated or declined after the election," diagnosing, "If there had been a landslide victory, it would be natural for approval ratings to rise significantly, so this is a very unusual situation." Ahn criticized, "The opposition did not go through a proper election evaluation process. Not knowing or sharing the reasons for the victory is a serious problem."