Ruling Party Cancels On-site Events in Chungcheong and Yeongnam Regions... Online Speeches to Be Held
Park: "Party Members in Chungcheong and Other Regions Have No Peace of Mind to Vote"
Park Chan-dae, a lawmaker running for party leader in the Democratic Party's 8·2 National Convention, said on July 18, "I respectfully request that the party leader election schedule be suspended until the heavy rain stops and we can assess the extent of the damage."
On the afternoon of July 18, Park held an emergency press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center in Yeouido, Seoul, stating, "The public is in shock in the face of this massive natural disaster caused by the torrential rain," and made the above remarks.
Earlier that morning, the Democratic Party discussed whether to postpone the convention schedule and ultimately decided to cancel the on-site events in the Chungcheong region (July 19) and Yeongnam region (July 20), and instead hold online speeches and ballot counting at the party headquarters.
Regarding this, Park said, "As the first candidate for party leader of the ruling party under the Lee Jaemyung administration, I want to raise a serious issue about whether it is right to proceed with the party leader election schedule as planned in this situation."
He continued, "Delegates and voting members in Chungcheong, Honam, and Yeongnam do not even have the peace of mind to participate in the vote," and pointed out, "Proceeding with the party leader election as scheduled in such circumstances is not the attitude of a responsible ruling party."
He also emphasized, "The people are fighting against the heavy rain. The ruling party must also fight the heavy rain alongside the people," and added, "Please fully consider that if the party appears to be preoccupied with the election, the ruling party could become a burden to the president and the government due to criticism."
Furthermore, he reiterated, "The public is watching what kind of decisive action the ruling party's interim leadership will take in the face of a major disaster at the beginning of the Lee Jaemyung administration," and said, "I will follow the leadership's decision regarding when to resume the election schedule and the details of the rescheduled election after the suspension."
On July 18, Park added a visit to the Dangjin Fish Market and a livestock farm in Dangjin, Chungcheongnam-do, which had been hit by nearly 400mm of heavy rain, to his schedule. During the visit, he plans to console farmers and fishermen and discuss measures for recovery.
Previously, Park wrote on his social networking service (SNS), "A few words cannot comfort those whose homes have collapsed. I will help with labor first and make sure to address countermeasures. I will carefully look into everything that is urgently needed right now, including recovery from damage such as flooded homes and farmland, livelihood support, temporary housing, and daily necessities."
He continued, "I also strongly urge the government to swiftly consider declaring a 'special disaster zone.' Please expedite the implementation of practical support measures. If necessary, the government should firmly allocate an additional supplementary budget (extra budget)," he demanded.
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