Candidates from the People’s Party Directly Criticize the People Power Party’s Nomination Committee … “Chaotic Nominations and Nomination Massacre Acts”

Cutoff Despite No Disqualification, Objection Filed to Central Party's Public Official Committee

Candidates from the People's Party running for the Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly have directly criticized the nomination decisions made by the People Power Party's Gyeongnam Provincial Party Nomination Management Committee.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Candidates from the People’s Party applying for nomination as Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly members have once again criticized the People Power Party Gyeongnam Provincial Party Nomination Management Committee.

On the 2nd, Kim Hayong, Chairperson of the Gyeongnam Provincial Assembly, and Jang Gyuseok, Vice Chairperson, held a press conference at the Assembly briefing room, condemning the People Power Party Gyeongnam Provincial Party Nomination Committee’s decision as a “reckless nomination, nomination massacre.”

Chairperson Kim and Vice Chairperson Jang stated, “It has been less than half a month since the People Power Party and the People’s Party declared their merger on the 18th of last month, and before the ink even dried, the merger agreement was torn to shreds,” adding, “Not only did they treat the promise to trust us as a discarded item instead of a mere piece of paper, but now they have even torn the paper itself,” sharply criticizing the situation.

“Kim Hayong of Changwon City’s 16th electoral district, Jang Gyuseok of Jinju City’s 1st electoral district, and Cheon Jinsu of Jinju City’s 4th electoral district do not fall under the People Power Party’s grounds for complete exclusion from nomination and have no disqualifications, yet they were cut off and denied the chance to compete in the primaries,” they said, and filed an objection to the People Power Party Central Party Nomination Management Committee on the same day.

According to the two, the People Power Party and the People’s Party declared their merger on April 18 and signed an agreement to fairly review candidates for the June 1 local elections based on mutually agreed criteria.

The merger agreement stated that in regions where there are four or more candidates including those from the People’s Party, a preliminary primary would be held with 100% general public opinion polling to select three candidates, and in regions with three or fewer candidates including those from the People’s Party, the main primary would be held immediately with 100% general public opinion polling.

They reported that there are a total of 10 candidates from the People’s Party in Gyeongnam Province: five for metropolitan assembly members, one for metropolitan proportional representation, two for city/county assembly members, and two for city/county proportional representation.

They argued that the failure to provide candidates from the People’s Party with the opportunity to compete in primaries according to the merger agreement is because the district party chairpersons, who are members of the National Assembly, are solely focused on appointing their own people.

Nomination Management Committee member Min Byungju said, “With two nomination committee members recommended by the People’s Party excluded, the People Power Party Gyeongnam Provincial Party Nomination Management Committee unilaterally decided and announced the nominees on the 1st,” adding, “The nomination screening is unfair and the screening criteria are unjust.”

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