Democratic Dongdaemun Party Members: "Three Consecutive Wins in Dongdaemun... Cancel Jang Kyung-tae's Secret Nomination"

Published 25 Feb.2024 11:35(KST)

Updated 26 Feb.2024 07:17(KST)

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Democratic Dongdaemun Party Members: "Three Consecutive Wins in Dongdaemun... Cancel Jang Kyung-tae's Secret Nomination"

As the 22nd general election approaches, dissatisfaction with the nomination results is growing, causing internal strife within the party. Members of the Democratic Party of Korea in the Dongdaemun district of Seoul held a protest demanding a primary election after the party nominated the incumbent lawmaker Jang Gyeong-tae as the sole candidate.

In a statement released on the 24th, they said, "Since Jang Gyeong-tae (current Supreme Council member) took office in the 21st National Assembly, the Dongdaemun district has suffered three consecutive defeats in the Seoul mayoral by-election, the presidential election, and the local elections, bringing a crisis to the Democratic Party of Korea." They added, "The decision to nominate Jang Gyeong-tae as the sole candidate is tantamount to declaring that the party has already decided to lose this parliamentary election."

They also stated, "We cannot accept the cut-off of candidates with competitiveness for the general election in Dongdaemun and the sole nomination of Jang Gyeong-tae. Release the public opinion polls regarding Jang Gyeong-tae’s re-endorsement and those involving Kim In-ho (former chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council). Since there are suspicions of corruption and manipulation in the current polls, if they are not fully disclosed, we solemnly warn that we will proceed with legal action."

They emphasized that a primary election must be held to assess the local public sentiment and ensure competitiveness in the general election.

They said, "The Democratic Party of Korea claims to hold primaries starting from the leadership to the public, yet the leadership is conducting sole nominations. This is unacceptable. The leadership must relinquish all sole nominations and set an example by accepting primaries within the districts. Otherwise, the leadership will bear full responsibility for this nomination turmoil and must resign."

They also declared their resolution to join forces with comrades nationwide who protest against unfair nominations to oppose secretive and autocratic nomination practices.