People Power Party Postpones Vote on Re-electing All Local Chapter Chairpersons Amidst Internal Concerns

The leadership of South Korea's People Power Party has postponed a vote on a controversial plan to re-elect all 254 local chapter chairpersons, including current lawmakers. The decision was made during a supreme council meeting on August 24th, with the party opting to discuss the matter further at a later date.

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The People Power Party's chapter chairperson direct election is not being discussed today, and it was not included as an agenda item. Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk also suggested finding a rational plan to discuss at the next supreme council meeting.

Party officials stated that the proposal, intended to reorganize the party structure for the upcoming general election, faced concerns about its sincerity being distorted. Some members reportedly viewed the move as a potential purge of specific factions within the party. The leadership acknowledged these concerns, deciding it was premature to reach a conclusion without further deliberation.

Prior to the meeting, party lawmakers had voiced opposition to the blanket resignation of chapter chairpersons during a general assembly on August 21st. Some supreme council members also conveyed their apprehension to the party leader. Yang Hyang-ja, a supreme council member, emphasized that the reorganization should not appear as an attempt to consolidate power or eliminate certain factions, advocating for a unanimous decision on reforms, including direct elections for chapter chairs.

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Despite the initial idea stemming from the party's direction and identity establishment process to reorganize the organization and transform into a party that can fight properly in the next general election, the sincerity was distorted in some quarters. It was judged premature to make a conclusion today under such circumstances, and ultimately, it was not put on the agenda today to reach a balanced and rational conclusion.

While the decision has been deferred, the party's chief spokesperson clarified that this does not signify a retreat from the idea of direct elections for chapter chairpersons. The leader has been gathering opinions from various lawmakers over the weekend, and the party remains committed to finding a balanced and rational approach to its organizational reforms.

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The reorganization of party chapters should not be seen as an attempt at privatization or the expulsion of specific factions. It would be good to decide on methods of chapter reform, including the direct election of chapter chairpersons, by unanimous consent, not by a majority vote of the supreme council.