"Party Leadership's Attempt to Oust Elected Candidate Is an Act of Disloyalty"
To Han Ducksoo: "Have You Even Run for a Local Parliamentary Election?"
On May 8, Kim Moonsoo, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, criticized the party leadership for pushing ahead with a unification with Han Ducksoo, an independent presidential hopeful and former Prime Minister. Kim stated, "They are committing acts of disloyalty by trying to oust a candidate who was elected through the primary," and added, "What is the point of the primary and what about the candidates who participated? This is a massive fraud against the public."
Attending a debate hosted by the Kwanhun Club at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, Kim said, "Unifying the candidates is an urgent task for a presidential victory." However, he also emphasized, "The unification of candidates must be carried out in a way that both the public and party members can accept in order for it to be effective."
Kim continued, "But what is happening in the People Power Party right now? Some members of the party leadership are attempting to oust a candidate who was elected through legitimate procedures and the primary." He then questioned, "Can party members and the public accept this? Is this process truly about unifying candidates, or is it about replacing the candidate?"
Directly addressing the party leadership, he said, "Is it proper party democracy to demand unification with a phantom candidate who neither registers as an independent nor joins the party?" He further criticized, "How can it make sense to force unification between a party candidate who has gone through the official process and all kinds of hardships, and someone who has neither run as an independent nor joined the party? This is nothing more than a pre-scripted plan to promote a specific candidate."
Regarding former Prime Minister Han, Kim raised his voice, saying, "He is only willing to join the party if he is carried in on a 'flower palanquin' through unification, but otherwise, he refuses both party membership and candidate registration." He also questioned Han's lack of political experience, stating, "Have you even run for a local parliamentary election? Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon entered the race and dropped out after just a few days. This is a chaotic field. If someone with no experience in this arena can guarantee a win against the ruthless candidate Lee Jaemyung, I would personally support him."
Kim repeatedly stressed that he is "the legitimate official candidate of the People Power Party, chosen by party members and the public." He asserted, "Since I was elected as the final candidate through the primary, I have the right to prioritize party affairs. When it comes to the election, I am the party."
Regarding the breakdown of the unification talks with Han the previous day, Kim explained, "Since I became the candidate, I suggested that we campaign for at least a week, then hold a TV debate and conduct a poll to determine unification." He added, "However, Han had no interest in this idea and said he had nothing more to say beyond the emergency press conference he held yesterday," thereby shifting the responsibility to Han.
Previously, Kim and Han held a unification meeting the day before, but it ended without any tangible results. However, immediately afterward, Kim proposed an additional meeting to Han, and Han's side responded positively. The two candidates agreed to hold a second meeting at 4:30 p.m. on the same day to continue negotiations on unification.
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