Targeting No Specific Person but Multiple Items
Handonghun Warms Up, Checks Ruling Party's Potential Leaders
Possibility of Ending as a Storm in a Teacup
Hwang Woo-yeo, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, reiterated on the 14th regarding the general election white paper, "Let's not pursue individual responsibility, but close the political responsibility by having the party leader resign." However, since the People Power Party's general election white paper task force (TF) has been elevated to a special committee at the party level and is being announced ahead of the party convention, it is expected to have significant repercussions.
On the 14th, Chairman Hwang attended the first full meeting held after the elevation of the general election white paper TF to a special committee at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, and said, "The subject should be the party, saying 'The party did this, there were these problems, and these results came out,' so that the party can accept it and the issues can be resolved," emphasizing this point.
However, as the general election white paper TF organization was elevated and Chairman Hwang emphasized that the white paper should be used as a 'textbook' rather than a reflection letter for the next general election, the contents of the white paper are expected to exert influence on the next party leadership candidates. Although the special committee's policy is not to create a 'list of those responsible for the defeat,' since it evaluates various fields such as nominations, pledges, publicity, strategy, and party-government relations, there is ample room for responsibility debates to resurface.
Hwang Woo-yeo, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the 3rd General Election White Paper Special Committee meeting held at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul on the 14th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
In particular, the ruling party's offensive against former Chairman Han, who led the last general election, may intensify. Former Chairman Han has recently visited a library and held a dinner with former Minister Won Hee-ryong on the 12th, warming up his political activities, and he is a target of checks by ruling party potential candidates as he holds an advantage in polls related to suitability for the next party leader.
A poll conducted by Newsis through the polling agency Ace Research from the 8th to 9th targeting 1,000 men and women nationwide aged 18 and over (100% automated response system (ARS), margin of error ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, response rate 1.5%) showed that former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min ranked first with 28% suitability for the next party leader, followed by former emergency committee chairman Han with 26%. Na Kyung-won, the elected representative for Dongjak District in Seoul, was at 9%, and lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo and former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong each had 7%. Among those who identified themselves as People Power Party supporters, comprising 34% of respondents, former Chairman Han overwhelmingly led with 48% suitability.
However, some suggest that the general election white paper may end up as a storm in a teacup. Professor Shin Yul of Myongji University said, "Historically, the impact of general election white papers on party conventions has been minimal," and predicted, "Given the high support for former Chairman Han both inside and outside the party recently, it will be difficult for it to have an impact."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
