Ahn Cheol-soo and Lee Jun-seok Clash Again Over Supreme Council Member Issue... Ahn: "There Are Rules" Lee: "Can't Even Interpret Party Regulations?"

Ahn Cheol-soo Reveals Details of Merger Agreement, Reaffirms Stance on Upholding Supreme Council Member Recommendations
Lee Jun-seok: "At Which Meeting Did the People’s Party Make the Recommendation... Is It a Private Recommendation?"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] During the merger process between the People Power Party and the People Party, Assemblyman Ahn Cheol-soo and Representative Lee Jun-seok clashed once again over the issue of recommending Supreme Council members.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 19th, Ahn’s side disclosed the ‘agreement content at the time of the People Power Party-People Party merger,’ stating, "The People Party recommended two Supreme Council members as their quota according to the merger agreement," and argued, "According to the supplementary provisions of the People Power Party Supreme Council regulations, it is possible to appoint the two Supreme Council members recommended by the People Party without amending the party constitution or regulations."

According to the regulation mentioned by Assemblyman Ahn, it includes the content that "the party leader may designate up to four Supreme Council members after consultation with the Supreme Council."

Revealing related regulations, Ahn expressed, "I deeply regret the failure to keep promises by making different claims from the agreed content declared before the people during the merger announcement."

In response, Representative Lee rebutted through social media, saying, "I point out the facts."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He said, "During the merger negotiations between the two parties, regarding the People Party’s personnel recommendations, there was strong opposition within the party to a current lawmaker from the People Party joining the leadership, so it was clearly communicated throughout the negotiations that the list could be reviewed," adding, "Originally, following the precedent of seat numbers like the Democratic Party-Open Democratic Party and Liberty Korea Party-New Conservative Party, we proposed recommending one Supreme Council member, but the People Party personnel requested to participate more, and Assemblyman Ahn asked me for consideration. Therefore, we agreed to accept up to two recommendations, but recommending someone who is not from the People Party goes against the intent."

Representative Lee stated, "This is not a judgment about Assemblyman Jeong Jeom-sik personally, and I have already expressed my willingness to accept two recommended members from the People Party."

Regarding the Supreme Council regulations mentioned by Assemblyman Ahn, he criticized, "It is a basic misinterpretation of the party regulations." He explained, "The supplementary provision dated February 17, 2020, refers to when the Liberty Korea Party, New Conservative Party, and Forward Party merged, increasing the number of Supreme Council members by four, at which time Kim Young-hwan, Lee Jun-seok, Kim Won-sung, and Won Hee-ryong were added."

Furthermore, on the position that the People Party cannot change the list of recommended Supreme Council members after the merger is completed, he said, "I understand that the document regarding the recommendation of the Supreme Council members was leaked to the media on May 13," and added, "If the public party properly went through the procedure to recommend, disclose when and in which People Party internal meeting the May 13 list was discussed." He continued, "If the list was not decided by a meeting body and was recommended after the merger completion, it is a private recommendation," and pointed out, "Other key figures within the People Party testify that they neither knew nor discussed the recommendation of Kim Yoon and Jeong Jeom-sik as Supreme Council members."