Kwon Seong-dong "Will Announce Early Next Week"
Power Struggle Among Mid-to-Senior Lawmakers
"Experienced Emergency Committee Chair" Consensus
The People Power Party formed an emergency committee chairman recommendation committee on the 19th and decided to speed up the appointment of the chairman. Once the final candidate pool is outlined around the 20th, Kwon Seong-dong, the acting party leader and floor leader, plans to announce it early next week.
Kwon Seong-dong, Acting Party Leader and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 19th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
The People Power Party decided to form a recommendation committee proportional to the number of lawmakers by seniority to appoint the emergency committee chairman. When the committee proposes a pool of candidates, Kwon Seong-dong, the acting party leader and floor leader, will designate one final emergency committee chairman to be elected. After the floor countermeasure meeting that day, Kwon told reporters, "We will listen to opinions by seniority until Friday (the 20th), deliberate over the weekend, and announce it early next week."
The People Power Party held a lawmakers' meeting the previous day to discuss the appointment of the emergency committee chairman but failed to reach a conclusion. It was reported that there was no atmosphere to specify any particular person during the meeting.
The party leadership believes that the appointment of the emergency committee chairman should not be delayed until late next week. Otherwise, it could be perceived as the party engaging in a power struggle amid a chaotic national situation.
Within the party, the consensus is that a seasoned senior lawmaker with weight should take the position of emergency committee chairman. Kim Dae-sik, the senior floor spokesperson of the People Power Party, said on YTN Radio that day, "Many lawmakers and the meeting thought that someone with experience and leadership should take the role." However, there is also criticism that this could miss an opportunity for reform.
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