People Power Party, 'Additional Points for Female Candidates' Passed to the Public Office Committee... Controversy Over Excluding Party Members

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Lim Chun-han] The People Power Party, ahead of next year's by-elections, is expected to form the Nomination Management Committee (NMC) within the year. The final decision on whether to grant 'additional points for female candidates,' which was not resolved by the Primary Preparation Committee (PPC), will also be made by the NMC. However, controversy over the 'exclusion of party members' is expected to persist, as party member participation in the main primary is only about 20%.

Kim Jong-in, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, told reporters after the emergency committee meeting at the National Assembly on the 16th, in response to a question about whether the NMC would be formed within the year, "If the candidates for the by-election appear quickly, we will form the NMC immediately along with their appearance."

The figures mentioned by Chairman Kim as presidential candidates include former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong, and former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. There is no clear frontrunner yet for the Seoul and Busan mayoral candidates. In Busan, former lawmaker Park Min-sik has publicly declared his candidacy, and in Seoul, former Songpa District Mayor Park Chun-hee has done the same.

The reason for hastening the launch of the NMC within the year is partly due to unresolved issues in the PPC's primary rules. On the 12th, the PPC finalized the primary rules, which mainly reflect 100% of the general public opinion poll in the preliminary primary. Candidates' morality and other factors will be pre-verified through a citizen verification committee, followed by a preliminary primary and then the main primary. In the main primary, 80% of the weight is given to the general public opinion poll and 20% to party member votes.

The issue lies with additional points. The PPC agreed to grant automatic advancement to the main primary for political newcomers but did not reach a conclusion on additional points for women, leaving the decision to the NMC. Opposition arose from other candidates who argued that additional points for women could unfairly benefit some well-known female politicians running in the by-elections. Former Future United Party lawmaker Lee Eon-ju criticized this on Facebook, calling this election a "gender election" and stating, "This issue is not about who benefits or loses but a measure of whether the party has the will to reform women's political participation and empathizes with the anger of many women," emphasizing the need to introduce additional points.

Despite being an election to select the party's candidates, the fact that party members' participation in the main primary is only 20% could also provoke dissatisfaction among party members. Former lawmaker Lee Jin-bok, considering running for Busan mayor, pointed out on Facebook, "Creating primary rules that exclude and disregard party members will only accelerate party member defections," and asked, "If party members have only responsibilities but lose their rights, who would want to be a party member?" Former lawmaker Yoo Jae-jung also criticized, saying, "Changing the party constitution and regulations by the emergency committee chairman and primary preparation chairman who are unfamiliar with Busan to favor a specific fresh candidate who does not know Busan well is not befitting of a public party."

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