Reelected Lawmaker "Will Reach Conclusion by Morning of 20th"
First-term Lawmakers Also Hold Meeting on Afternoon of 19th
On the 19th, first- and second-term lawmakers of the People Power Party each held candidate recommendation committees and began discussing the recommendation of candidates for the emergency response committee chairperson. Since the conditions and recommended candidates for the chairperson vary by lawmaker, there is concern that only discussing without consolidating opinions by term could miss the optimal timing to stabilize the party, so they intend to gather opinions by term.
Among the 30 first-term lawmakers of the People Power Party, eight lawmakers including Kwon Young-jin, Park Soo-young, Eom Tae-young, Lee In-seon, Jeong Hee-yong, Jo Jeong-hoon, and Choi Hyung-doo held a meeting related to candidate recommendations at the National Assembly Members' Office Building at 2 p.m. that day. Opinions of the absent lawmakers will be individually collected by Eom Tae-young, the representative of the second-term lawmakers' meeting.
After the meeting with lawmakers, Rep. Eom told reporters, "No names have been mentioned yet. We decided to gather individual opinions again and reach a conclusion by tomorrow morning." Regarding the form of the next leadership, Rep. Eom said that opinions were expressed that the nature of the emergency response committee must be determined?whether it is a one-top system under Acting Leader Kwon Seong-dong or a two-top system considering the presidential election?to select a suitable candidate accordingly.
Regarding the nature of the emergency response committee as considered by second-term lawmakers, he mentioned, "It will probably have to lean toward political reform," adding, "I think it should be someone with knowledge and a sense of unity to stabilize various aspects of people's livelihoods." When asked if external figures were being considered for political reform, he said, "If the emergency response committee is preparing for political reform and constitutional amendment, external figures might be better, but many lawmakers do not think those who came from outside previously were very successful, so no conclusion has been reached."
Within the party, senior figures such as Joo Ho-young, a six-term National Assembly Deputy Speaker, and five-term lawmakers Kwon Young-se, Kim Ki-hyun, and Na Kyung-won are being mentioned, while outside the Assembly, senior party figures like former Saenuri Party (now People Power Party) leader Kim Moo-sung and former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong are also being discussed. It has been reported that the first-term lawmaker Kim Jae-seop has been offered the emergency response committee chairperson position, rapidly emerging as a candidate. The idea is that someone who expressed support for the impeachment, rather than senior figures who opposed it, should take the chairperson role to avoid the image of sympathizing with martial law.
Not only second-term lawmakers but also first-term lawmakers are scheduled to hold a first-term lawmakers' meeting at the National Assembly Main Building from 4:30 p.m. that day to discuss candidates for the emergency response committee chairperson. Previously, the People Power Party held lawmakers' meetings on the 16th and 18th, right after former leader Han Dong-hoon resigned, to discuss candidates for the chairperson but failed to finalize a candidate and shifted to recommending candidates by term. Kwon Seong-dong, acting party leader and floor leader, told reporters after the floor countermeasures meeting that morning, "I told them to submit opinions by term by the 20th, but I don't know if they will comply," adding, "We will deliberate over the weekend and announce it early next week." The meeting of third-term lawmakers is expected to be held on the 20th.
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