Emergency meeting held but 'Baekgajaengmyeong' of United Future Party... 'Early voting manipulation theory' also raised

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kim Hye-min] The United Future Party held its first party meeting after the general election, but discussions continue in a 'battle of a hundred schools of thought' style, with no consensus reached. Some members raised allegations of 'early voting manipulation.' Opinions are sharply divided over whether to move to an emergency response committee (ERC) system or hold a party convention, with growing support for holding a meeting of elected members.

Park Sung-joong, a United Future Party lawmaker, told reporters during the party meeting on the afternoon of the 20th, "Based on the discussions so far, the idea of proceeding normally rather than through an ERC is more dominant," indicating that the party convention theory is gaining traction. This contrasts with the atmosphere conveyed earlier by Acting Party Leader Shim Jae-cheol at the Supreme Council, who said, "The majority of Supreme Council members expressed the opinion that it would be better to quickly transition to an ERC system to manage the situation."

Park said, "There is fierce debate such as 'let's proceed with our own capabilities' and 'we have had various experiences with the ERC but have not achieved significant results,'" adding, "While the Supreme Council mostly favors forming an ERC, the mood among lawmakers is stronger for proceeding normally."

Lawmaker Kim Tae-heum also stated, "Although we were defeated in the general election and need to seek new directions, goals, and paths, new people have already been introduced through the election, and there are elected officials who have been verified by the public." He clarified his opposition to the ERC by saying, "It is right for those elected officials to unite and strive internally to implement the politics the people want, rather than bringing in outsiders to take charge of the party, which would mean the party loses its autonomy." Lawmaker Kim Sung-won, when asked by reporters if a conclusion would be reached today, said, "The conclusion is obvious. What can be done with an ERC?" and added, "An ERC is absolutely unacceptable."

On the other hand, lawmaker Jang Je-won emphasized the necessity of an ERC, saying, "We need time to reflect and grow. Therefore, time for reflection requires the time of an ERC," and "If we hold a party convention without time for introspection and engage in power struggles over positions, how would the public perceive that?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He explained, "The idea of forming an ERC comes from the perspective that a conservative party should find the causes of its historic defeat, reflect, and innovate accordingly," adding, "Others are split evenly between wanting to hold a party convention quickly and forming an ERC quickly." Also, lawmaker Ji Sang-wook, regarding the ERC or early party convention proposals, said, "I haven't really thought about it," and added, "The method is not important; what matters is becoming a party that can appeal to everyone with the right inspiration and empathy," choosing to withhold further comment.

Regarding the 'early voting manipulation allegations' raised by some conservatives, it was reported that the issue was also discussed at the party meeting that day. Park said, "Problems with early voting were raised at the party meeting, and empirical and specific figures were presented," adding, "There are many suspicions. There are significant problems. If these are proven true, it would constitute election fraud."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.