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What really matters is rebuilding conservatism

Published: 24 Jun. 2024, 20:10

Four candidates are competing in the race to take the helm of the People Power Party (PPP) in its national convention on July 23. Han Dong-hoon, who led the governing party to the general election defeat in April, is vying against two five-term lawmakers — Reps. Na Kyung-won and Yoon Sang-hyun — and Won Hee-ryong, a three-term lawmaker and former land minister.

The prospect of Han’s easy win has become complicated by the challenge from multiple bidders. In the event that no candidate wins an outright majority, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters. If Han fails to win a majority in the first round, candidates from the pro-president faction could muster votes for their favorite to hamper Han’s victory.

Han, once a protégé of President Yoon Suk Yeol, reportedly divorced from Yoon after the PPP’s crushing defeat in the April parliamentary elections. Whether Han can win party leadership without the backing of the president can determine the axis of the governing power. But strictly speaking, the election is an internal affair of the PPP. The issue of whoever is closer to the president or Han is a party matter, not the general public’s.

What really matters is whether conservative politics can be restored. The PPP convention must not be wasted as a factional battle, but serve as a turning point to elect a leadership that can revitalize the conservative bloc. The new leader must be able to present convincing conservative visions on various state agendas such as low birthrate, fast aging, North Korea’s nuclear threats, economic disparities and reforms in the labor, pension and education sectors so that the PPP can earn back confidence from conservative voters and expand its horizon from the right for a better chance in the 2026 local elections and the 2027 presidential election.

The new PPP leadership must also realign its relationship with the presidential office. The party must be able to frankly relay public opinions to the presidential office. Han said he would submit a motion to enable an objective independent counsel investigation into the government’s suspicious handling of the tragic death of a Marine. He also plans to suggest the installation of an independent inspector on the presidential office and a secretariat office managing the first lady. Na, who was forced to resign from her leadership bid before last year’s ad hoc convention, vowed to end connection-based politics, as she lacks “faction” or “ill feeling.” Won said he would become a party leader who speaks honestly to the president.

All the candidates appear to understand the public wishes, but we would have to see if they indeed keep their words. The presidential office must stay out of the convention if it learned any lessons from its disastrous meddling in last year’s convention.