PPP's leadership vacuum continues to get deeper

Politics

Published: 31 Aug. 2022, 17:39

PPP's leadership vacuum continues to get deeper

Rep. Suh Byung-soo, chair of of the People Power Party’s national committee, announces he is stepping down from the post in a press briefing at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Wednesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Rep. Suh Byung-soo stepped down as chair of the People Power Party's (PPP) national committee Wednesday after opposing the launch of a new emergency steering committee as the party flounders through a leadership vacuum.

Last Friday, a court injunction filed by former chief Lee Jun-seok temporarily suspended the duties of interim leader Rep. Joo Ho-young, chair of the PPP's 10-day-old emergency steering committee.

The PPP immediately announced plans to launch a new emergency steering committee, and on Monday endorsed Rep. Kweon Seong-dong as the PPP's temporary leader.

However, some party members, including Suh, questioned if floor leader Kweon was the appropriate person to lead the transition process and whether it was a wise move to defy the court decision.

In a press briefing Wednesday, Suh announced he would step down as chair of the national committee chair to stick by his convictions.

Suh has refused to convene a national committee in order to respect the decision of the Seoul Southern District Court Friday, which sided with Lee's argument that the party's circumstances didn't constitute an "emergency" as stipulated in its charter.

Approval by the national committee is necessary in order for the party to transition to a leadership under an emergency steering committee.

"I have consistently maintained that the right way is to go with an acting chairman system, and it is wrong to go with an emergency steering committee," said Suh. "I came to the decision to resign from my position after considering whether there was any path that would not cause inconveniences to the party or be an impediment to finding leadership while still upholding my beliefs."

Suh's resignation will enable the PPP to convene a national committee meeting and launch a new emergency steering committee. The national committee will be led by its vice chair, Rep. Yoon Doo-hyun.

Some PPP lawmakers have called for Rep. Kweon, a close ally of President Yoon Suk-yeol who is considered responsible for the chaos in the party, to step down as floor leader.

In early July, the PPP's ethics committee suspended Lee's party membership for six months over allegations that he accepted sexual bribery from a businessman in 2013 and later abetted in a cover-up attempt.

This prompted fierce debate within the PPP on what whether to stick by its suspended chairman or to transition to a new leadership under an emergency steering committee, formed when the party's supreme council is dissolved or in other emergency situations.

Kweon briefly took over as acting chairman but stepped down to take responsibility for being photographed reading text messages from the president taking a jab at Lee in late July.

In early August, the PPP decided that the current situation constituted a state of emergency and amended its party charter.

At the time, the PPP's national committee, reluctantly convened by Suh, amended the party's charter to allow floor leader Kweon to appoint five-term lawmaker Joo as chair of the emergency steering committee.

On Aug. 16, the PPP formally launched an emergency steering committee led by Joo, ousting Lee as party chief. Lee immediately cried foul, blamed Yoon's allies and filed a court injunction against the PPP.

After holding a party caucus for nearly five hours Tuesday, the PPP agreed to revise its charter to form a new emergency steering committee. The PPP decided on an amendment to its charter to allow for an "emergency" situation in the case there are four vacancies on the supreme council.

Some party members are worried that the same cycle of problems could ensue should the PPP launch a new emergency steering committee. Lee could simply file for another injunction.

Suh has been adamant about "not making the same mistake twice" and has called on Kweon to resign to pave the way for a new floor leader who can double as acting chair. He has recommended Joo as a candidate for new floor leader.

Kweon's fate is expected to be decided after a new emergency leadership is launched.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]