The Democratic Party announced that the primary elections will commence as scheduled in the Chungcheong region on August 17, stating that this decision was made based on the majority opinion of committee members. This response comes amid concerns regarding the fairness of starting the primaries in the hometown of former leader Jeong Cheong-rae.
Lee Yeon-hee, a spokesperson for the party's preparatory committee, spoke to reporters after the second meeting at the National Assembly on July 2, saying, "The agenda was already proposed and approved in the first meeting, following established practices."
Previously, the preparatory committee revealed a schedule that begins in Chungnam, Chungbuk, Daejeon, and Sejong, followed by Ulsan, Busan, Gyeongnam, Jeju, Incheon, Gangwon, Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, Gwangju, and concludes in Daejeon, where the party convention will be held.
In response, former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and lawmaker Song Young-gil expressed their discontent over the decision to start the primaries in Chungcheong, Jeong's hometown, which they believe could influence the outcome, while the crucial primaries in Honam have been scheduled later.
Additionally, Lee stated that discussions regarding improvements to the one person one vote system were not addressed during the meeting. While the system is seen as beneficial for reflecting diverse opinions, there are concerns that it may overlook the views of specific regions. Lee explained, "The weighting aspect will be incorporated as we amend the party constitution, and further discussions are necessary."
Meanwhile, the meeting also established criteria for membership dues related to the national delegate composition and approved the distribution of recommendations for the appointment of party committee members.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.