People Power Party to Launch Election Committee Next Week for By-elections... "Primary Rules May Change"

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Possibility of Revising Primary Election Rules Created by the Election Committee... "Decision Lies with the Public Relations Committee"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hye-min] The People Power Party is set to launch its nomination management committee as early as the 21st, ahead of the by-elections scheduled for April next year. This marks the official start of the candidate selection process, including for the mayoral positions of Seoul and Busan. The primary rules established last month are widely expected to be revised depending on internal and external party circumstances. It is also reported that there is a growing sentiment within the leadership that 'strategic nominations' should be considered.

Jeong Jin-seok, a five-term lawmaker and the most senior member within the party, has been appointed as the chairman of the nomination committee. This means a practical, hands-on chairman has been chosen rather than a veteran politician.

Jeong is regarded as having a weak factional bias and being well-versed in party affairs, making him suitable for mediating conflicts during the candidate selection process. His constituency in the Chungcheong region, rather than Seoul or Busan where the by-elections will be held, is also believed to have been a factor. On his Facebook, Jeong stated, "The April 7 by-elections will be a decisive battle that determines the fate and prosperity of the party and the nation," pledging a sure victory.

The nomination committee is expected to consist of 7 to 8 members, including Secretary-General Jeong Yang-seok. Yoon Hee-sook, a lawmaker representing Seocho Gap-eul in Seoul, has also joined. Yoon, who gained attention for her 'five-minute speech on lease agreements,' was considered a strong contender for the Seoul mayoral race among first-term lawmakers. However, by joining the nomination committee, which directly oversees candidate nominations and primary rules, she has effectively confirmed that she will not run for Seoul mayor.

Attention is focused on how the nomination committee will select candidates and by what methods. Although the People Power Party established primary rules last month, it is widely anticipated that the primary process could change during the candidate selection. Previously, the primary preparation committee proposed a system where preliminary primaries would be decided 100% by general public opinion polls, and the final candidate would be selected by reflecting 20% party member votes in the main primary, reporting this to the party leadership.

A party official said, "Ultimately, it is important to field a candidate who can win the election," adding, "If necessary, even the main primary could be decided 100% by opinion polls." Another party official stated, "The nomination committee will make the final decision, using the primary preparation committee's rules as a reference."

It is also reported that there are opinions within the party leadership about the need to consider strategic nominations instead of primaries. The leadership has expressed an intention to select candidates through primaries. However, there are voices within the party that argue there are limits to persuading presidential hopefuls or other candidates with strong general election competitiveness to run for Seoul mayor through primaries.

The nomination committee will gather these views and decide on the nomination method. Regarding the primary rules, attention is focused on the unresolved issue of additional points for female candidates, which the primary preparation committee has yet to conclude. Discussions on strategies such as election alliances with candidates outside the party, including former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop and Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, are also expected to take place within the nomination committee.

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