Cheon Ha-ram: "Key party officials including Jeong Jin-seok will be fielded in the Seoul metropolitan area, Honam, and other regions in the general election"

"Until now, 'Yunhaekgwan' go to the rear"
"Jang Je-won declares candidacy in Dongjak-e"

Cheon Ha-ram, a candidate for the party leadership in the People Power Party's March 8 convention, announced that incumbent lawmakers, including Jeong Jin-seok, the emergency response committee chairman who held key party positions, will be fielded in challenging constituencies such as the Seoul metropolitan area and Honam region in next year's general election.

On the 26th, Cheon held a press conference at the National Assembly and announced a nomination reform plan, stating, "I will assign responsibilities proportional to the authority to the highest-level executives, floor leaders, and equivalent emergency response committee members and key officials of the party's executive body who have effectively managed the party."

He said, "Until now, our party has placed those who have received many benefits and powers from the party, including 'Yun Hae-gwan' (key associates of President Yoon Seok-yeol), in safe rear positions, while asking talented individuals who have not received such benefits to go out and fight upfront. That should not be the case. Talented individuals who have received many benefits and powers should step forward."

Cheon stated, "I will advance incumbent lawmakers from non-metropolitan constituencies and proportional representation who held key party positions," adding, "These lawmakers will run in constituencies in the Seoul metropolitan area and Honam region where People Power Party (including predecessor parties) lawmakers were not elected in the 21st general election, and in constituencies where President Yoon Seok-yeol's vote share was below 50% in the last presidential election."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He continued, "This does not mean unconditional nomination," and said, "To respect the will of voters and party members, even in cases of forward deployment, a primary election will be held. We will uphold the principle of bottom-up nomination."

The key party positions in the party's executive body include party leader, floor leader, supreme council member, policy committee chairman, secretary-general, deputy head of strategic planning, deputy head of organization, head of public relations, spokesperson, chief deputy floor leader, emergency response committee chairman, and emergency response committee members.

After the press conference, in a back briefing regarding the exclusion of Rep. Jang Je-won from the 'list of key party officials,' Cheon said, "I want to cut off Rep. Jang, but reforms must be made in a systemically justified way," adding, "I believe he will not cowardly hide in the rear alone while others go to the metropolitan area and elsewhere."

He also said, "Rep. Jang was at the forefront of collectively lynching and persecuting former Rep. Na Kyung-won," and added, "If he persecuted former Rep. Na to that extent, I hope Rep. Jang actively declares his candidacy in Dongjak-eul, where former Rep. Na is the party committee chair, and faces judgment from the voters of Dongjak-eul and metropolitan area voters."