People Power Party Leadership Candidates Debate
Different Views on Open Primaries for Local Election Nominations
The candidates running for the leadership of the People Power Party gave differing answers to the question of whether the party's nominations for next year's local elections should be determined entirely through an open primary. Former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moonsoo and Representative Cho Kyungtae held up 'O' signs in support, while Representatives Ahn Cheolsoo and Jang Donghyuk held up 'X' signs in opposition.
During the People Power Party leadership candidate televised debate held at the Channel A studio in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of August 10, Kim Moonsoo stated, "If the ruling and opposition parties agree to amend the election law, I will support an open primary system to secure victory in the local elections." However, he added that if such an agreement is not reached, nominations would be conducted primarily through party member voting.
Cho Kyungtae also emphasized, "The purpose of a fully open primary is to prevent the party leader or lawmakers from intervening in nominations any longer," adding, "I will usher in an era of party member sovereignty by embodying the spirit of bottom-up nominations."
In contrast, Ahn Cheolsoo advocated for a nomination process based 100% on party member polling. He explained his opposition by saying, "If we implement an open primary, even Democratic Party members could participate, which would lead to confusion in the election results."
Jang Donghyuk also stated, "Unless supplementary measures are put in place, a fully open primary would favor established interests or high-profile individuals," adding, "We need to discover young talent, assign them to party positions, and lower barriers in the primaries."
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