"If Different from Public Opinion, Party's Role is to Point Out and Propose Alternatives"
"Elections are Decided by Swing Voters... No One Knows Better Than Me"
"Party Audit is Traditionally Conducted Just Before the General Election"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Hyun-ji] Ahn Cheol-soo, a leading candidate for the next leadership of the People Power Party, said on the 17th, “If (the party’s thinking) is 100% exactly the same as Yongsan (Presidential Office), the support base cannot expand.”
On the same day, Ahn said on KBS Radio’s ‘Choi Kyung-young’s Strongest Current Affairs,’ “The party’s role is to accurately convey public sentiment.” He added, “If there are policies and ideas somewhat different from public sentiment, they should be properly pointed out and alternatives that align with public sentiment should be presented. If the executive branch and the National Assembly raise the same voice and go to the same support base, they will ultimately fail in the general election.”
He then expressed confidence in centrist expansion. He said, “What decides elections is the swing voters (voters who change their preferred candidate or party each election),” and emphasized, “I don’t think there is anyone who has thought about the swing voter group as much as I have over the past 10 years, who knows what they think, what strengths they have, and also what limitations they have.”
He also said, “(If I become party leader) there will be no nomination turmoil,” adding, “Rather than favoring close associates in nominations, I can nominate truly winning candidates, people recognized and reputable in their regions.” He pointed out, “Those who have run in several party conventions so far are mostly people who owe a lot to the party. If they are elected, there is a high possibility that the current out-of-office party branch chiefs will be largely replaced by people close to the newly elected party leader. There are many concerns about this, especially if the party branch chiefs are not good people but those who oppose public sentiment, then naturally the general election will fail.”
Regarding the ongoing party audit under Emergency Response Committee Chairman Jeong Jin-seok, he said, “It is customary to conduct a party audit right before the general election to nominate the most suitable candidates,” and added, “It is naturally something that must be done, but the current out-of-office party branch chiefs have many concerns about whether the timing is appropriate, and I conveyed that on their behalf.” Specifically, he said, “Most of these people were candidates who lost in the last general election in 2020 without being able to make their names known due to the COVID-19 situation,” and elaborated, “Now that they need to engage in political activities and party organization, conducting an evaluation like this immediately means they have no chance at all.”
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