'The moments we collapsed were not because our opponents were strong, but because the walls within us grew higher'
Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said Thursday that party members "must come together as one team at the end of the competition" ahead of the Aug. 17 national convention.
Speaking at a policy coordination meeting at the National Assembly that morning, Han said the convention "is not a fight over who wins, but a stage for the Democratic Party to prove before the people that it is a responsible ruling party."
He said the party had been at its strongest — from the era of Kim Dae-jung through Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in to President Lee Jae Myung — "whenever we were scattered and then joined hands again." He added: "The moments we collapsed were not because our opponents were strong, but because the walls within us grew higher."
Han added that "the reason we compete is not to knock each other down, but to become a stronger, more unified whole."
Turning to the stalled negotiations over the formation of standing committees, Han said the National Assembly "can no longer be left in a state of paralysis" and called for a plenary session to be convened this week to complete the election of committee chairs.
He added that "as the ruling party responsible for people's livelihoods, the Democratic Party strongly requests that the Speaker exercise authority in accordance with the National Assembly Act," urging the Speaker to immediately assign all 18 standing committees as required by law.
sunpine@heraldcorp.com
