People Power Party Nominates Ahn Gyo-jae for Suwon Mayor, Park Tae-kyung for Hwaseong

The People Power Party’s Nomination Management Committee on April 28 finalized Ahn Gyo-jae as its candidate for Suwon special city mayor and Park Tae-kyung as its candidate for Hwaseong special city mayor.

Committee Chair Park Deok-heum told reporters at the party’s central headquarters in Seoul’s Yeouido that the committee had completed the vote count for the party primaries to pick candidates in Suwon and Hwaseong.

Park also outlined the next steps for National Assembly by-elections and rules on primary vote adjustments. He said the party plans to post a notice on April 29 to accept applications for nominations in additional by-elections that arise, with filings accepted through April 30.

He said interviews for applicants will be held May 1, and the committee will move quickly to decide the nomination method and announce candidates. In districts holding primaries, voting will run for two days starting May 3, with final candidates to be announced May 5.

The committee also approved standards for adding or subtracting points in primaries. Park said the party decided to reduce a portion of the primary vote share for candidates who previously served as lawmakers in the same district, in order to encourage new entrants to politics. He said candidates who served three or more terms in the same district would face a deduction of 15% in a two-way race and 10% in races with three or more candidates.

He added that candidates seen as having markedly low competitiveness after losing three or more times in the same district would face a 30% deduction in a two-way race and 20% in races with three candidates.