The People Power Party expelled 8 of its proportional representation members. This is interpreted as the so-called 'loaning of lawmakers' to the satellite party of proportional representation, Kukminui Mirae, becoming full-fledged.
Handonghun, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party (right), and Jo Hyejeong, Party Leader of the People’s Future Party, are taking a commemorative photo at the 'People’s Future Central Party Founding Convention' held on the 23rd at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@
On the afternoon of the same day, Jeon Ju-hye, the ethics committee member of the People Power Party, met with reporters at the central party office in Yeouido and said, "We have resolved to expel 8 lawmakers," adding, "After legal review, it was necessary for several lawmakers to be active in Kukminui Mirae, and for that, the expulsion procedure was required." The expulsion process will be finalized once approved at the party meeting scheduled for the 15th.
The Central Ethics Committee of the People Power Party decided on the highest level of disciplinary action, expulsion, as stipulated by the party's rules, but did not disclose specific reasons. The names of the 8 lawmakers were also withheld. Jeon said, "Choosing to be active in Kukminui Mirae is a sacrifice for the development of the People Power Party," and added, "Revealing the specific articles of the ethics committee regulations would be disrespectful to those individuals."
The ethics committee's expulsion decision is interpreted as a procedure for proportional representation members to maintain their parliamentary seats while transferring their party affiliation to the satellite party. According to Article 192 of the Public Official Election Act, proportional representation members lose their seats if they leave or change their party affiliation unless the party merges, dissolves, or expels them. The reason for 'loaning' incumbent lawmakers to the satellite party is to secure a higher candidate number. The party's candidate number is determined in order of the number of incumbent lawmakers, or if there are none, in alphabetical order.
If all 8 lawmakers expelled by the People Power Party's ethics committee join the satellite party, Kukminui Mirae, they would outnumber the Green Justice Party's 6 seats, increasing the likelihood of being assigned candidate number 4. The People Power Party hoped that Kukminui Mirae would be placed at number 4, adjacent to their own number 2.
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