Seoul: An internal audit committee of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on Friday decided to seek a three-year membership suspension for Reps. Kwon Young-se and Lee Yang-soo over their attempt to replace the party's candidate ahead of the June 3 presidential election.
According to Yonhap News Agency, in May, the PPP attempted to replace then-candidate Kim Moon-soo with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo amid concerns that failing to unify their candidacies would weaken the chances of a conservative win against now President Lee Jae Myung of the liberal Democratic Party.
Kwon, who was serving as chief of the PPP's emergency committee, and Lee, then head of the PPP election committee, pushed for a vote to switch candidates in a late-night move, citing Kim's reluctance to unify campaigns. The plan was ultimately rejected by party members in an all-party vote.
At a press briefing held at the PPP headquarters Friday, the audit committee said the party's attempt to replace its presidential candidate lacked basis under the party's constitution and regulations. "Although we believe the two lawmakers acted with good intentions during a difficult time, the seriousness of the incident leaves us with no choice but to seek disciplinary action," the committee said.
The audit findings will be forwarded to the party's ethics committee, which will make the final decision. If the three-year suspension is upheld, Kwon and Lee will be barred from running as PPP candidates in the 2028 general elections. The suspension of party membership as a disciplinary action can range from a minimum of one month to a maximum of three years.