"Direct Election for Party Chapter Heads is a Must"... Calls for Resignation Over Responsibility

[Anchor]

Marking his first anniversary since taking office today, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok reiterated his promise to implement a direct election system for local party chapter heads, declaring that he will build a party that fights. However, backlash erupted within the party, with critics demanding that Leader Jang step down first.

Here is a report from reporter Son Hyeong-an.

[Reporter]

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok began his press conference by assessing that he has focused on strengthening party members' sovereignty over the past year since taking office.

Pledging to step up the struggle against the ruling bloc, he stated that during his remaining one-year term, he will build a bridgehead to secure a majority win in the 2028 general election and retake power.

[Jang Dong-hyeok / Leader, People Power Party : We will strongly drive reforms from within. We will fill the party with capable people who know how to properly fight.]

Regarding the "direct election system for party chapter heads," which party lawmakers oppose, he made it clear once again that it is something "that must be done," signaling an intent to change the method of selecting chapter heads from the party's Supreme Council.

[Jang Dong-hyeok / Leader, People Power Party : We will further expand party members' sovereignty by allowing members to directly participate in electing city and provincial chapter heads as well as local party chapter heads.]

The plan pushed by Leader Jang is to change the system so that all members or responsible members of a given local party committee elect their chapter head through a vote.

Among party lawmakers who suspect that the push for direct elections of chapter heads is a bid to seize control of the party through a "purge of lawmakers," backlash broke out. Some argued that "Leader Jang should take responsibility for the failures of the past year and step down," while others stated that "what the People Power Party needs right now is not a feast of words, but a national convention (to elect a new leader)."

Senior party lawmakers serving four terms or more also held a meeting after Leader Jang's press conference to express such concerns.

[Lee Jong-bae / Lawmaker, People Power Party : They shared the view that it is difficult for us to win the general election in this state.]

Leader Jang, who had previously claimed that senior members should make sacrifices to win the general election, adjusted the tone of his remarks today by calling it "one of the matters to consider," while avoiding a direct answer when asked whether he would run for another term as party leader next year.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party dismissed Leader Jang's past year, criticizing that "there is no new path for conservatives, and only a private party remains through disciplinary actions and forcing people into line."

(Video Reported by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan, Video Edited by Lee Seung-jin, Graphics by Lee Jun-ho and Yang Gi-tae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.