Grand National Party factions are set for another fight on Tuesday over rules on the election of its new party chairman.
The role is to be filled through an election at the ruling party’s national convention in July.
“We are to reach an overall agreement, if not a final one, through a general meeting on how to elect our chairman,” said Rep. Hwang Woo-yea, floor leader and acting party chairman.
A group of reform-minded lawmakers last week called for the general meeting, requesting revisions to rules for the leadership election previously made by the party’s emergency policy committee.
The committee had decided to apply a one-man, one-vote system and to exclude public opinion polls.
“The committee has decided, in consideration of the increased electorate college population, not to include public survey results in this year’s in-party election,” said the party’s spokesperson last Thursday.
This rule was expected to disadvantage well-known public figures such as Reps. Hong Joon-pyo and Na Kyung-won, both said to be planning to challenge for the party leadership in next month’s election.
The committee’s conclusion triggered a backlash from first-term and reform-minded lawmakers within the party.
These members claim that without public poll results, the election may become no more than an internal power game that fails to reflect voter sentiment.
“The candidate with the closest ties with a specific powerful faction will thus be given advantage in the election,” said a group of first-term lawmakers in a statement.
“The one-man, one-vote system, too, will only intensify factional disputes as each person shall cast a vote for the member of his or her faction.”
The group demanded that committee chairman Chung Ui-hwa step down.
Another progressive group soon followed in criticism of the committee, calling for a general meeting to discuss the details.
The acting chairman refused.
“The committee’s decision was based on the unbiased consideration to select the best leader for the party, with no intention to offer an advantage to any specific political faction,” he said
The GNP leadership election is to draw extra attention given the party’s crushing defeat in the April by-elections, following which calls for reform were made by factions within the party.
The leader to be elected next month will take charge of the party until the general and presidential elections next year.
By Bae Hyun-jung (
tellme@heraldcorp.com)
