[사설] Jogi Jeondae Gakjagjade, appoint a party leader who will completely transform the ‘Yeongnam Party’

The People Power Party, which suffered a crushing defeat in the April 10 general election, decided to hold an early national convention and form a leadership team after the Emergency Response Committee was established. Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader and acting party leader, said immediately after a meeting with those elected to four or more terms yesterday, “In order to hold a national convention, according to the party constitution and rules, a non-presidential meeting must be held.” She then said, “If there is a Supreme Committee, there is no need to go through an emergency committee, but now that there is no Supreme Committee, if we want to hold a national convention, we need a emergency committee to conduct practical procedures.” However, there is no set time and method for the emergency. Today, the final direction will be decided through a process of collecting opinions at the general meeting of 108 elected members of the 22nd National Assembly. It is said that many opinions were expressed that a national convention should be held in June or July at the latest through the management emergency committee.

As of now, there is a growing sentiment toward holding an early national convention after holding a short emergency committee meeting. However, Acting President Yoon may form an emergency committee in the near future, or a new floor leader may be elected to form the emergency committee in his capacity as acting party leader. The responsibility of the new party leader to be elected at an early national convention is bound to be enormous. This is because the ruling party suffered a shocking defeat, handing over the majority to the opposition party for the first time in constitutional history. Even though the People Power Party occupied an overwhelming number of seats in the Yeongnam region, including the TK (Daegu, Gyeongbuk) and PK (Busan, Gyeongnam, Ulsan) regions, it suffered a crushing defeat, winning only 19 out of 122 seats in the metropolitan area, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon. This is largely due to President Yoon Seok-yeol’s image of lack of communication and the failure to shed the image of the Yeongnam Party. Depending on who the party leader is, it will be a gauge of which direction the People Power Party will take.

It goes without saying that the new party leader must be someone who can break the existing framework. Looking at public opinion in general elections, representatives who are distant from the president have a higher chance of success. Appointments that are tailored to the public’s perspective, not the party members’, will be applauded regardless of whether they are conservative or progressive. The reason why the People Power Party has been dragged into a vertical relationship with President Yoon is because it appointed a person who is close or acquainted with the president as its representative. In order to convey the public sentiment to the President’s Office without hesitation, it is right for party members to exclude from the beginning those who are suitable for the President.

When it comes to the People Power Party, the image of a ‘non-metropolitan area party’ and a ‘senior party’ is strong. In order to regroup the scattered conservative supporters, recover the support of young people in their 20s and 30s and the moderates, and be reborn as a national party in name and reality, it is urgent to completely change its constitution. If the People Power Party has read the public will for the general election, even if it is belated, it will have to appoint a new party leader right away.

[ⓒ 세계일보 & Segye.com, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]