Lee must depart from fandom-based politics

Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung persistently insists on a strengthening of party members’ power after the surprising defeat of lawmaker-elect Choo Mi-ae — a six-term legislator and Lee’s favorite candidate for the speaker of the new National Assembly — in the majority party’s internal race for the top post of the legislature last week. The DP leader’s insistence sounds loud alarms as it outright goes against the growing demand from party members for an end to the party leadership dominated by Lee and the termination of his fandom-based politics.

In an event in Daejeon for party members on Sunday, the DP leader tried to assuage their complaints, pledging to increase the number of party members and double their power in deciding the future direction of the liberal party. Upon the news that more than 10,000 hardline members, mostly fervent Lee supporters, have left the party to show their displeasure with the results of the internal election last Thursday, Lee urged them to stop paying party expenses instead of departing from the party.

In a Supreme Council meeting Monday, the DP leader promised party members with voting rights to reflect their will more than before when the party leadership elects the heads of its city and provincial committees. Rep. Kim Min-seok, a Lee loyalist, proposed the idea of reflecting their will more than 10 percent when the party elects its candidates for speaker of the legislature, its floor leader and other senior posts of the party.

In the lead-up to the internal race to elect the DP’s candidate for speaker, Lee aficionados chose Choo over other candidates in advance and methodically pressured them to resign from their candidacy. Choo even declared her defiance of the principle of neutrality if elected speaker to meet the expectations from Lee supporters. His hardcore supporters even threatened to leave the party after Choo’s defeat in the race for speaker.

Expanding the base for a political party is desirable for the development of democracy. But some fanatical members’ move to shake major decision of the party — and their threat to leave their party unless their demands are not met — certainly went too far. If their say gets stronger, it will only empower them further. That is not democracy.

The unexpected victory of Rep. Woo Won-shik, a former floor leader, in the race for the speaker shows a clear message from newly elected DP lawmakers that Lee must end his unique fandom-based politics. If he ignores the message and uses his fandom for his next presidential bid, the DP will lose public confidence. Lee and his party must not forget it will only backfire.