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| 더불어민주당 이재명 대표가 31일 오전 서울 여의도 국회에서 열린 최고위원회의에서 발언하고 있다. 연합뉴스 |
The Democratic Party is deeply considering the negative opinions within and outside the party regarding the revision work on the resignation deadline for the party’s presidential challenge.
While it is difficult to maintain the current party constitution and rules that require the party leader to resign a year before challenging for the presidency, there is criticism that intensifying the one-man rule under the leadership of Lee Jae-myung, the party’s leader, is not without merit.
The Democratic Party’s steering committee is scheduled to review and decide on the task force’s proposal to amend the party constitution and rules regarding exceptions for the resignation of the party leader before running for the presidential election.
Adding a clause that allows for a change in the resignation deadline by the decision of the steering committee if there is a ‘considerable reason’ when the party leader or a top member runs for the presidential election is proposed to be included in the current party constitution and rules.
If the party leader elected at the upcoming party convention in August wants to run for the next presidential election in March 2027, they must step down by March 2026, a year before. It is pointed out that this can lead to a situation where there is no party leader for the local elections in June 2026.
However, inside and outside the party, there are criticisms that the amendment to the party constitution and rules is, in fact, a preemptive move for the reappointment of the presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung.
Furthermore, there are voices questioning the need to push for the amendment of the party constitution and rules when the public opinion on the reappointment of the party leader itself is not entirely positive.