Ahn Cheol-soo, a lawmaker who was among the 'final four' in the People Power Party presidential primary, criticized on the 7th that the party leadership pressuring presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo for the consolidation negotiations was urgent and asked, "Why did we even hold the primary?" He emphasized that the presidential candidate should lead the consolidation negotiations.
Ahn noted that day on Facebook, "Considering the current state of the party, I feel devastated. If we were going to hastily push for consolidation like this, then why did we hold the primary?"
He added, "It would have been better to decide our party's candidate from the start through rock-paper-scissors. If Han Duck-soo was already the 'designated' candidate, then what were the candidates who participated in our party's primary? Were they merely props?"
He continued, "I completely agree that consolidation is necessary to stop Lee Jae-myung. However, if it continues like this, the presidential election will end before it even starts," adding that in order to maximize the effect of consolidation to stop Lee Jae-myung, the candidates must strategically consider the timing, method, and procedures.
He added, "In particular, the party leadership should be fully aware of their responsibility for this situation and must be clear in their conduct," raising the issue of accountability for the party leadership.
Criticism from primary candidates towards the party leadership regarding the consolidation negotiation process continues. Former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, who was also among the 'final four' in the primary, claimed on Facebook that when Yongsan and the party leadership suddenly boosted Han Duck-soo, trying to turn the impeachment election into a vote to reaffirm President Yoon Seok-youl, he felt skeptical that such actions would lead to a clearly foreseeable electoral defeat. "However, that became a reality," he asserted.
He sharply criticized, "Isn't it possible to reverse your sinister operations, Kim Moon-soo? Is what you did justifiable? Are you trying to ruin the country, the party, and the Korean conservative camp?"
Na Kyung-won also reportedly stated during a party congress the day before regarding the emerging 'candidate replacement theory', "We must not create a situation where we do not recognize the presidential candidate we elected, as it looks like an expulsion."
The conflict between candidate Kim and the party leadership over the timing and method of consolidation with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is deepening.
Earlier, Party Emergency Response Committee Chairman Kweon Young-se and Floor Leader Kweon Seong-dong demanded that Kim be swiftly asked to proceed with consolidation with the independent Han Duck-soo, who had entered the race just about three hours after being elected at the party congress on the 3rd. Candidate Kim's side initially demanded the immediate establishment of the party's election countermeasures committee and the replacement of the secretary general, leading to a clash between the two sides, but the party decided to accept it, taking a step back. However, as the consolidation negotiations continued to show no progress, the party pressured candidate Kim on the same day, saying they would survey all party members on their stance regarding consolidation.
In response, candidate Kim issued a statement the night before saying, "The party leadership should no longer interfere with consolidation and must cease related activities immediately. From this moment, consolidation will be entirely led by the presidential candidate," indicating that he is fighting back. Candidate Kim also mentioned, "I plan to meet with all candidates who participated in the primary separately to have in-depth discussions on current issues." It appears to be a plan to counter the party leadership's pressure for consolidation through solidarity with the primary candidates.