Ex-presidential candidate re-emerging as People's Party head
By Choi Ha-young
Former People's Party presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo is surfacing as a strong contender for his party's top leadership position.
With only three months since the presidential election, it is unusual for a defeated candidate to so quickly try to make a comeback as a party's leader. Such candidates usually keep a low profile to "take responsibility" for the election defeat.
But many party members support him as the most-qualified person to revive the minor opposition party, and the party has few other potential candidates.
Two party members ― six-term lawmaker Chun Jung-bae and four-term lawmaker Chung Dong-young ― have made bids to run in the leadership race slated for Aug. 27, and Rep. Lee Un-ju, who came under fire in July for misogynist remarks demeaning school cafeteria workers, is also considering throwing her hat into the ring, sources said.
In the face of the older members' returns, calls are mounting within the party to crown Ahn. On Sunday, some party members met Ahn bearing 109 member signatures in support of his chairmanship. Ahn reportedly told them he will "consider it prudently."
Since last month, the minor liberal party has been reeling from a scandal in which some party members were arrested and indicted for fabricating voice recordings in a smear campaign against then-leading presidential candidate Moon Jae-in. The scandal has pulled down the party's support rate to less than 5 percent.
Prosecutors wrapped up the investigation into the scandal on Monday, and Ahn was proven innocent. After this result, some pundits said he may eye the party's top post as he has reiterated that he won't quit politics. To reporters' questions Monday about whether he will run for the leadership post, Ahn only answered: "I will reveal my stance later."
Ahn's supporters are encouraging his bid, saying the People's Party co-founder is most-suited to resolve the crisis, and that the two current candidates ― Chun and Chung ― are far from "new politics," the party's main slogan.
However, critics do not see Ahn's comeback as a guarantee of the party's revival. "Among its 40 lawmakers, it's hard to find someone else who has as much public support to lead the party as Ahn," political commentator Hwang Tae-soon said. "The People's Party may be able to enjoy a rebound for a moment with Ahn's comeback, but this won't last long."
By Choi Ha-young
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| Ahn Cheol-soo |
With only three months since the presidential election, it is unusual for a defeated candidate to so quickly try to make a comeback as a party's leader. Such candidates usually keep a low profile to "take responsibility" for the election defeat.
But many party members support him as the most-qualified person to revive the minor opposition party, and the party has few other potential candidates.
Two party members ― six-term lawmaker Chun Jung-bae and four-term lawmaker Chung Dong-young ― have made bids to run in the leadership race slated for Aug. 27, and Rep. Lee Un-ju, who came under fire in July for misogynist remarks demeaning school cafeteria workers, is also considering throwing her hat into the ring, sources said.
In the face of the older members' returns, calls are mounting within the party to crown Ahn. On Sunday, some party members met Ahn bearing 109 member signatures in support of his chairmanship. Ahn reportedly told them he will "consider it prudently."
Since last month, the minor liberal party has been reeling from a scandal in which some party members were arrested and indicted for fabricating voice recordings in a smear campaign against then-leading presidential candidate Moon Jae-in. The scandal has pulled down the party's support rate to less than 5 percent.
Prosecutors wrapped up the investigation into the scandal on Monday, and Ahn was proven innocent. After this result, some pundits said he may eye the party's top post as he has reiterated that he won't quit politics. To reporters' questions Monday about whether he will run for the leadership post, Ahn only answered: "I will reveal my stance later."
Ahn's supporters are encouraging his bid, saying the People's Party co-founder is most-suited to resolve the crisis, and that the two current candidates ― Chun and Chung ― are far from "new politics," the party's main slogan.
However, critics do not see Ahn's comeback as a guarantee of the party's revival. "Among its 40 lawmakers, it's hard to find someone else who has as much public support to lead the party as Ahn," political commentator Hwang Tae-soon said. "The People's Party may be able to enjoy a rebound for a moment with Ahn's comeback, but this won't last long."
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