Conflict Intensifies Among Presidential Candidates Over Anti-Backdoor Selection Clause
"Can Prevent Public Opinion Manipulation" vs "Fighting Ghosts"
Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 2nd and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] As the presidential candidates of the People Power Party clash daily over the ‘reverse selection prevention clause,’ attention is focusing on the selection of the primary election management committee. Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, acknowledged that the election management committee has the ‘authority to amend’ the original plan, indicating that modifications are possible, but he also made it clear that the scope of such amendments is limited.
On the 2nd, during a radio interview, Lee said, "The Primary Preparation Committee has already decided on certain matters, and since changes are being made to these, the controversy seems to have intensified more than usual," adding, "It is true that the election management committee has the authority to amend these." He continued, "What Chairman Jeong Hong-won meant was that 'the authority to amend lies with him,' but it does not mean that he will overturn everything."
Earlier, Chairman Jeong stated in a media interview, "What the Primary Preparation Committee prepared is just one proposal," and "The election management committee will review the Primary Preparation Committee’s proposal entirely, make adjustments, or even replace it with something else." This sparked controversy over whether the election management committee has the authority to change the existing primary rules, specifically the exclusion of the reverse selection prevention clause.
Within the People Power Party, former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung, and former Future United Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn support reintroducing the reverse selection prevention clause, while eight presidential candidates including Representative Hong Joon-pyo and former Representative Yoo Seung-min oppose it. Regarding this, Kim Byung-min, spokesperson for Yoon Seok-yeol’s campaign, argued, "Introducing a basic rule regarding reverse selection prevention can alleviate concerns that votes might be concentrated on candidates with weaker competitiveness in the general election." In response, Oh Shin-hwan, head of Yoo Seung-min’s campaign situation room, rebutted, "If there was an intention, they should have declared themselves as People Power Party members from the start," calling it "fighting ghosts."
As conflicts intensified, including calls for the resignation of the election management committee chairman over the introduction of the reverse selection prevention clause, Chairman Jeong issued an appeal to try to resolve the situation. He addressed the presidential candidates, saying, "From beginning to end, I will lead the primary with fairness as the highest value and without selfishness," and "The public is watching us. I earnestly appeal that you become candidates who will be recorded in history as praised figures rather than pursuing personal gain."
The election management committee plans to listen to opinions from polling experts on the introduction of the reverse selection prevention clause and other matters later that afternoon.
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