New LKP leader's role

Chairman Hwang should respect will of the people

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) has set sail anew under the new leadership of Hwang Kyoahn, the former prime minister under the rule of ousted President Park Geunhye, amid hope for the reconstruction of the party as well as conservative forces.

The LKP failed to meet the public's exepctation for its complete overhaul after its successive humiliating defeats in the 2017 presidential poll and the 2018 local elections. It even invited Kim Byongjoon, who served as chief policymarker for the late President Roh Moohyun, as its interim leader to patch up the dilapidate conservative party.

Against this backdrop, the top priority of Hwang, who took the helm just 43 days after he joined the party, is to regain the support of the people who have increasingly turned their back on it. As new chairman, he needs to convince party members and estranged supporters by convincing them that the LKP is capable of taking power.

Otherwise, the LKP will definitely stand little chance of winning in the general election slated for April next year and the 2022 presidential poll. In order to be reborn as a healthy conservative opposition to win back public support, it ought to throw away old-fashioned practices and break from its shameful past. These are critical tasks facing Hwangh.

He should also keep in mind that the resurgent far-right forces within the party, as exposed nakedly during the campaign period for the party chairmanship, could hurt the LKP in the general elections and stymie his possible presidential bid.

Hard-line LKP members are now trying to delegitimize the impeachment of the disgraced President Park, thus hampering party unity. Hwang earlier promised to prioritize uniting conservatives. He should do everything he can to keep his pledge.

A healthy ruling party presupposes the existence of a strong opposition rival. This means that checks and balances between the ruling and opposition parties make politics better for the people. The LKP under Hwang's leadership must become a strong opposition party that respects the will of the people rather than the narrow-minded partisanship of its members.