Cheonha-ram, the floor leader of the Reform Party, attended an emergency Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly Member’s Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 21st. To the right is the empty seat of party leader Heo Eun-ah. [Photo source = Yonhap News]
The leadership of the Reform Party, led by the ‘pro-Lee Jun-seok faction,’ decided on the 26th through a party vote to have Representative Heo Eun-ah and Supreme Council member Jo Dae-won step down.
Cheonha-ram, the floor leader, and Lee Ju-young, the policy chief, along with the leadership of the pro-Lee Jun-seok faction, held a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly and announced, “As a result of the party member recall vote conducted on the 24th and 25th, Heo was removed from her position with 91.93% approval.”
In the recall vote for Representative Heo, 21,694 top-level party members participated, with 19,943 (91.93%) in favor, and 1,715 (8.07%) against. In the vote for Supreme Council member Jo, 20,140 (92.84%) supported the recall.
According to the Reform Party’s constitution and regulations, a party member recall is confirmed with over one-third participation from top-level party members and a majority of valid votes in favor.
Cheonha-ram stated, “Heo Eun-ah and Jo Dae-won should reflect on the clear will of the party members rather than deny the results,” adding that, “As figures once elected, it would be moral to cooperate with the resolution without procedural confusion.”
Jung Guk-jin, the chief spokesperson from Heo’s side, rejected the vote results, calling it a “Kim Cheol-geun’s factional coup” orchestrated by Cheonha-ram’s private group, which violated numerous rules. Heo’s camp expressed their intention to defend party democracy and plans for an emergency press conference to state their position.
Previously, Cheonha-ram and others initiated the party member recall vote, claiming Heo violated the party’s constitution and regulations during the appointment of party officials and gave unfair orders to the Secretariat.
The conflict between Heo and the pro-Lee Jun-seok leadership emerged last month on the 16th when Heo dismissed Kim Cheol-geun, the secretary-general, who is considered close to Representative Lee. It has been reported that Heo and Kim had been in conflict over party management methods.
Heo dismissed the policy chief Lee and Kim and appointed successors; however, the incumbents refused to acknowledge this and maintained their positions.
The party operated abnormally, with Cheonha-ram’s leadership and the newly formed leadership by Heo each holding their Supreme Council meetings.
Heo also stated that the party member recall vote is illegal and cannot be accepted, having also filed a court injunction to suspend the vote’s effect.
On the 24th, when meeting with reporters at the National Assembly, Heo said about the party member recall vote, “It is being conducted illegally. The procedure is wrong.”