Cho Seung-rae, a member of the Democratic Party and former Secretary General, criticized the recent push for additional voting related to the party's upcoming 8.17 convention, stating that it appears to be organized for political and electoral interests.
In a Facebook post, Cho expressed concerns about various issues, including the preference voting system, exceptions to candidacy qualifications, objections to the schedule and location of the primary, and the demand for additional voting, which he deemed unfair. His remarks seem to target candidates aligned with the Pro-Lee Jae-myung faction.
Some analysts have suggested that the preference voting system may benefit Pro-Lee Jae-myung lawmakers, while candidates Song Young-gil and Kim Yong received exceptions to maintain their candidacy qualifications. Additionally, Pro-Lee Jae-myung candidates have raised objections regarding the primary schedule starting in the Chungcheong region, which is the hometown of candidate Jung.
Recently, Pro-Lee Jae-myung lawmakers have criticized the system that allows member voting to conclude before regional joint speeches, referring to it as 'blind voting.' They argue that additional voting opportunities should be provided to party members who did not participate in the initial voting.
In response, Cho stated, "Elections fundamentally involve electing representatives through the delegation of sovereignty from the public and party members. They must be conducted according to pre-established procedures and methods to preserve their significance." He added, "While the justification for additional voting is to increase participation, the essence of it is an act that undermines the sovereignty of party members."
He also noted, "In the party leader election and internal congressional primaries scheduled for two years from now, whether the same primary and preference voting systems will be implemented, and whether the presidential primary will also follow a preference voting format, will be remembered by both myself and the party members, along with who made decisions based on what principles regarding these issues."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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