People's Party begins four-day poll on merger
People’s Party Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo, left, and Bareun Party Chairman Yoo Seong-min, right, shake hands at an event in the National Assembly, Wednesday. / Yonhap
By Choi Ha-young
The People’s Party began a party-wide vote on whether to merge with the Bareun Party, Wednesday.
On the first day of the four-day poll, party Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo urged party members to cast their ballots, referring to a rival faction’s move to boycott the vote.
“If the party members endorse me, I will carry forward the merger from the beginning of next year. Otherwise, I will step down from my post,” Ahn said at a press conference.
“The merger is not simply about making our party bigger in scale. It is to create a young, reformist political group beyond an ideological confrontation between liberals and conservatives.”
Later in the day, Ahn took part in an event organized by the Bareun Party.
“My political career is at stake in this vote. I believe the merger can change history,” Ahn said. “The considerable voter turnout, despite the opponents’ boycott, is a very encouraging sign.”
As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, 31,843 people had voted or 12.45 percent of eligible voters. There is no minimum turnout rate, according to the party’s legal committee.
Bareun Party Chairman Yoo Seong-min, who also attended the event, said he is looking forward to the outcome of the vote as a breakthrough in the merger. “I am aware of the rough road ahead of us, but we can overcome such hardships once we concentrate on our common goals ― the establishment of a future-oriented and reformist group.”
The People’s Party has vowed to become a powerful third party. Recently, the party said it will arbitrate the two largest parties’ dispute over a constitutional revision, as it did during the budget negotiations earlier this month.
If Ahn’s bid goes smoothly, the new party will launch in February next year. Before the final decision, the parties should undergo party conventions, another hurdle for Ahn.
This is likely to generate the third-largest party here, but the number of seats could be lower than the existing People’s Party, if the anti-merger faction leaves the party. However, the estimate varies ― the opponents may stay in the party if less than 20 lawmakers are poised to leave which is required to form a negotiation body.
The anti-merger faction in the People’s Party ― primarily composed of lawmakers from the Jeolla regions ― sought a court injunction to halt the process on Monday, but the Seoul Southern District Court rejected their demand, giving the go-ahead for the poll, Wednesday.
In the vote, party members have been asked: “This is a vote of confidence for party Chairman Ahn regarding his plan to merge the People’s Party with the Bareun Party. Are you for or against him?”