"Creating a Presidential Election White Paper to Evaluate Achievements and Faults"
Former lawmaker Yang Hyangja officially announced her bid for the leadership of the People Power Party on July 28. She expressed her determination to overcome the pro-impeachment versus anti-impeachment divide by innovating the party's decision-making system.
On this day, Yang held a press conference at the National Assembly, stating, "I will become the new leader of the People Power Party and restore it as a competent economic party and a nationwide party loved by all."
Yang emphasized reforming the party's unreasonable decision-making system and unfair nomination process. She explained that the leadership should be filled with economic experts, not legal technicians, to transform the party into a capable organization.
She also stressed that establishing a system should be the priority when it comes to personnel reform.
Yang said, "If I become party leader, I plan to use the system to address those involved in martial law," adding, "For example, in the candidate nominations for the general election, which is nearly three years away, it is right to create a system that objectively assesses achievements and faults."
She further explained, "It is impossible to bring about personnel reform by appointing an innovation committee chair from within or by selecting individuals. If I become party leader, I will produce a white paper that thoroughly analyzes the causes of the presidential election defeat and identify those who should take responsibility or be held accountable."
Yang also pointed out that the controversy over the admission of Korean history lecturer Jeon Hangil was caused by the lack of a systematized standard for party membership qualifications. She stated, "Since Jeon Hangil stands in opposition to the direction the People Power Party should move forward, he should step back for now. Without a system to determine the standards and identity for party membership, such issues are inevitable."
She drew a clear line regarding an alliance among reformist candidates. Yang said, "It is up to the party members and the public to judge who among the reformists can pave the way for a new conservatism. Proposing to unify the reformists as if it were a popularity contest is essentially a call not to innovate," she said firmly.
Regarding the reform proposals of Innovation Committee Chairperson Yoon Heesook, she commented, "It is not appropriate to engrave apologies from those with past wrongdoings into the party constitution and regulations, which are like the nation's constitution. Appointing either Representative Ahn Cheolsoo or Chairperson Yoon to head the innovation committee was also the wrong approach."
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