People Power Party "Cutoff Applies to Non-Registered Party Branch Chiefs"…Possibility of Purge in Candidate Selection

Rule Changed: Bottom 10% of Non-Representatives to Be Cut Off
"Candidate Reallocation and Additional Recruitment Possible" Also Left Open

The People Power Party has decided to apply a cut-off (exclusion from the primary) not only to incumbent lawmakers but also to party district chiefs outside the National Assembly. Regarding the general election nominations, the People Power Party mentioned the possibility of additional recruitment, raising the likelihood of an unexpected 'player replacement,' especially a reshuffle of party district chiefs in the metropolitan area.

On the 15th, after the party emergency meeting, Yoon Hee-seok, spokesperson for the People Power Party, told reporters, "We have changed the qualification screening criteria for this nomination applicant." He added, "Until now, the replacement index was applied only to incumbent lawmakers, with the bottom 10% being cut off and those in the 10-30% range having 20% deducted from their vote share. We have decided to apply this to party district chiefs outside the National Assembly as well." Spokesperson Yoon explained, "Among the total 78 former party district chiefs, the 7 in the bottom 10% will be cut off, and the 15 in the 10-30% range will have 20% deducted from their vote share."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jang Dong-hyuk, Secretary-General of the People Power Party, commented on the recent 'rule' revision, saying, "Party district chiefs outside the National Assembly also hold considerable influence, but there was no regulation excluding them even if their evaluations were poor. There was an opinion among the nomination committee members that it should be applied fairly regarding nominations."

However, as the nomination process is ongoing and the primary rules have been revised, there is a possibility of backlash. Regarding this, Spokesperson Yoon said, "This was an aspect we had not considered," adding, "There is no reason to differentiate between incumbents and party district chiefs outside the National Assembly, so logically, there should be no major issues."

Earlier, to enhance fairness in the general election nominations, the People Power Party had all party district chiefs resign on the 18th of last month.

In addition, the People Power Party has left open the possibility of additional recruitment for candidates currently lacking competitiveness in the nomination process. If a candidate is judged to be weak, they plan to adjust the existing candidate pool through reassignment, talent recruitment, or additional recruitment.

Before the nomination committee meeting that day, Secretary-General Jang told reporters, "If there is no competitive candidate in a district where a single nomination has not been announced, we can reassign among current candidates or prioritize recommendations from recruited talents. Then, there is no need for additional recruitment." However, he added, "Discussions about additional recruitment will be held after all district interviews are completed."