Lee Jun-seok's Side: "Ruling Party Leadership Proposed Lee as Election Committee Chairman"

"Ruling Party Mainstream Lawmakers Contact Lee Jun-seok First"
"If Party-Government Changes, Staying Is Natural"

Lee Gi-in, a Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly member and close aide of former People Power Party (PPP) leader Lee Jun-seok, claimed on the 13th, "I understand that proposals for emergency committee chairman or election committee chairman have been made to former leader Lee through the Yongsan Presidential Office or close aides of the PPP leadership." Lee is one of the members of the Lee Jun-seok faction known as Cheon-A-Yongin (Cheon Ha-ram, Heo Eun-ah, Kim Yong-tae, Lee Gi-in).

On the same day, Lee appeared on BBS Radio's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal' and criticized, "Former leader Lee or those who talk about party reform are seen as merely asking for the trivial party leadership positions and powers such as emergency committee chairman or election committee chairman," adding, "In a way, that is even worse."

He continued, "It would be better if nothing is given to former leader Lee," and added, "He is making reasonable demands to the public such as diagnosing and reflecting on the reasons for being undervalued, a cold evaluation of past government administration, a change in policy direction, and cooperation among the ruling party, opposition, and government, but it is very regrettable that this is perceived as if he wants party leadership."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He also claimed that former leader Lee discussed with senior PPP members from Yeongnam and about their constituencies. Lee said, "I cannot disclose specific names, but I was surprised that not only figures outside the party but also members of the party, representing the mainstream rather than reform conservative tendencies, contacted former leader Lee first," and added, "The Innovation Committee is actually powerless, but seeing that there are many members of the National Assembly who cannot speak out, I was able to confirm that former leader Lee's talk of reform is not out of place."

He said, "Members of the National Assembly from regions classified as PPP strongholds, where winning nominations almost guarantees election, and who are practically not worried about nominations, contacted former leader Lee and expressed considerable sympathy for the issues he raised," adding, "Recently, there was an article about the president's approval rating plummeting in the TK (Daegu and Gyeongbuk) region, and in that context, there were members of the National Assembly who shared the awareness that even if nominated now, winning the general election would be difficult."

Nevertheless, he also stated that if there is a major policy shift in government administration, former leader Lee could remain in the party. Lee said, "Remaining is definitely possible," and added, "If the major policy changes regarding government administration that former leader Lee mentioned by the end of December, the party's stance on various issues shown in the Gangseo District Office by-election, and the restoration of a horizontal relationship between the party and government are resolved as preconditions, there would naturally be no justification for founding a new party, and he would inevitably remain."