O Shin-hwan "Highly Appreciate Ahn Cheol-soo's Decision... Let's Hold a Joint Primary Election for the Pan-Opposition"

"No room for live debate due to unification... All vested interests must step down"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] On the 20th, former People Power Party lawmaker Oh Shin-hwan proposed a 'joint primary election for the pan-opposition camp' in response to Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People Party, suddenly announcing his candidacy for the Seoul mayoral by-election scheduled for April next year.

Former lawmaker Oh said this through his Facebook on the same day, stating, "I highly appreciate (Leader Ahn's) difficult decision."

He expressed regret, saying, "If this was going to happen anyway, instead of advocating the ambiguous 'Opposition Innovation Platform' last fall, declaring candidacy for Seoul mayor and proposing a joint opposition response would have been a way to broaden the space for the entire opposition camp," but emphasized, "We must not disrupt the front for judging the Moon Jae-in administration and reclaiming Seoul."

Former lawmaker Oh said, "What remains now is the arduous unification game," adding, "However, the unification itself has already become a tired game that fails to inspire national sentiment."

He then proposed, "We do not have the luxury to disappoint the public again with debates over whether to unify or not, or who should participate in the unification. Let's hold a pan-opposition one-shot primary election, a joint primary where Ahn Cheol-soo, Geum Tae-seop, and all candidates from the People Power Party jump into the melting pot."

Former lawmaker Oh emphasized, "If each is truly willing to relinquish their vested interests, the best strategy is to remove all preconditions and clash bare-handed like UFC," and added, "Above all, removing uncertainty is an urgent task, and I am confident that this is the path to change, innovation, and victory for the opposition camp."

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