Fundamental Ban on Presidential Intervention in Party Affairs
The People Power Party on May 31 approved an amendment to its party constitution that fundamentally prohibits the President from intervening in party affairs.
On this day, the People Power Party held a nationwide virtual committee meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, and approved the amendment, which stipulates the separation of party and government affairs as well as a principle of prohibiting factionalism.
Out of 794 eligible nationwide committee voters, 565 participated in the vote. Of these, 530 (a 93.8% approval rate) voted in favor, resulting in the passage of the original proposal.
Kim Yongtae, Chairperson of the People Power Party Emergency Response Committee, stated in his opening remarks, "Politics is about responsibility, and it must be institutionalized, not just spoken," adding, "Prohibiting the President from intervening in party affairs and codifying the principle of banning factions are steps to embed reform into our system."
He continued, "While maintaining close cooperation between the party and the government, the operation and responsibility of the party must be clearly separated," emphasizing, "We must firmly prohibit not only the President's direct intervention but also that of close associates and relatives in party affairs, in order to break the vicious cycle of political turmoil."
Chairperson Kim said, "A political party should serve not factions, but only the people," and added, "No one, not even the President, should be able to use a political party as a tool for power."
He went on to say, "This amendment is not only about changing our party, but also about establishing the backbone of South Korean politics," and stressed, "Only when the autonomy of political parties is restored can politics thrive, and only when parties stand upright can governance function properly."
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