Justice Party proceeds resignation of proportional representatives

As part of the efforts to reform the party of the crushing defeat in the March 9 Presidential Election and the June 1 Local Elections, the Justice Party is proceeding with an all members’ voting on recommending resignation of proportional representation legislators.

Jeong Ho-jin, former chief spokesman of the Justice Party, wrote on Facebook on Saturday that 937 valid signatures were received when the autograph album was motioned under the name of 1,002 Party members as of Aug. 7. She also wrote that the Justice Party is having the first general vote of members since the party was formed and that it is the first time in the history of political parties in Korea. Beforehand, Jeong submitted the autograph album to motion general vote on recommendation for collective resignation of proportional representation members including Kang Eun-mi, Ryu Ho-jeong, Bae Jin-gyo, Lee Eun-ju, and Jang Hye-yeong.

“The party’s Central Election Management Committee will announce within four days the schedule for election campaigns and voting,” Jeong said. “This general voting is not about simply approving or opposing the recommendation for resignation of assemblymen but will be a testbed of whether the Justice Party could get qualified as parliamentary party and whether the party could revive the outlook for the progressives coming to power.”

The motion will have no binding power as it is a recommendation, however, if approval rate exceeds 50 percent, there will be a mounting pressure both in and out of the party for each member of the assembly to resign. “If each member accepts the recommendation after political consideration and resigns finally, the next in line will succeed the proportional representation position pursuant to the Election Act,” an official from the Justice Party said.


Dong-Jun Heo hungry@donga.com