[연합시론] The Justice Party in Crisis, Return to the Beginning of Progressive Politics

(Seoul = Yonhap News) The Justice Party is in crisis 50 days before the presidential election. Presidential candidate Shim Sang-jung abruptly suspended his campaigning schedule on the 12th, and the next day, the party’s Election Countermeasures Committee announced his collective resignation. The Justice Party held an emergency conference on the 15th and decided to completely overhaul the election committee, but it is unclear whether the Justice Party will be able to reorganize its lines and present new hope and vision to the voters with little time left until the election. On the 16th, four days after his departure, candidate Shim, who resumed his activities by visiting the site of the collapse of a new apartment building in Gwangju, is paying attention to what message he will deliver at the party delegation-members meeting scheduled for the next day. The background of the confusion is the low approval rating that is shocking. Candidate Shim’s approval rating was said to be within the margin of error in a recent opinion poll, but it was found to be 2.2%, lower than that of candidate Huh Kyung-young of the National Revolutionary Party. Candidate Shim, who received 6% of the vote in the 19th presidential election in 2017, must have felt a sense of helplessness that was difficult to accept as a reality. The Justice Party reaffirmed once again the determined will to lead this election to victory, centering on Candidate Shim. For the sake of the health and development of our politics, I hope that the Justice Party and Candidate Shim will quickly settle the chaos and return to the presidential race vigorously.

The key to the revival of the Justice Party is ultimately whether or not the approval rating will recover. If it does not secure the same level of meaningful support or votes as in the past, the 100 pill is invalid. It is said that opinions within the party are divided as to the cause of the decline. Some analyzes say that it is because of the excessive attack on the Democratic Party, while others point out that it is because he failed to show a decisive appearance on issues of justice and fairness related to the Democratic Party. Some argued that excessive obsession with feminism was rather poisonous. All of them have their own reasons, but fundamentally, it is because the color of only a progressive party has faded. Above all else, the youth, the leaders of the future, should be the answer to a progressive party that is one step ahead of the times, but the reality is that even to them, the Justice Party is seen as an old party that clings to vested interests as much as the Democratic Party or the power of the people. It is saying that they are trying to maintain the vested interests in moderation by making plausible claims as a signboard. The empty slogans that seem to come from a broken radio do not inspire young people who are tired of unemployment and polarization. It is necessary to suggest and persuade how the Justice Party pursues values ​​such as human rights, labor, welfare, environment, and gender equality to improve life and how to realize these goals.

The Justice Party, as the original representative party of progressive politics, has more meaning and weight than its predecessor. It is indispensable for sound social development and political dynamism. There are countless cases where the Justice Party or its predecessor, the Democratic Labor Party, did not receive attention at the time they made a promise, but later turned it into a reality through legislation. It goes without saying that although he has not yet come to power, he is playing a major role in leading social development as an axis of our politics. It is unfortunate that the position of the Justice Party is getting narrower as the big two parties are engaged in a close battle in this presidential election, and the confrontation between the camps becomes more and more acute. In times like these, we need to go back to the beginning. Ahead of the 2020 general election, the Justice Party passed the interlocking proportional representation system together with the Democratic Party, despite the opposition of the first opposition party, and there are views that it has gone downhill since then. It was a significant and desperate system for the Justice Party in that it could accommodate the various demands of society, but it neglected the democratic process in terms of legitimacy, and in terms of practicality, it lost even the slightest bit of leeway with the establishment of a satellite party of the ruling and opposition parties. In order for the Justice Party to regain its power, it is important to uphold its principles and cause, even if it loses right away. This should prove the value of existence as a progressive party. Progressive politics inevitably leads to a series of hardships in the tilted playground of division, but it is self-evident that a bird without one wing cannot fly for long. It is hoped that candidate Shim and the Justice Party will once again stand tall in front of the people through thorough self-reflection.

<저작권자(c) 연합뉴스,
Unauthorized reproduction-redistribution prohibited>
2022/01/16 13:15 Send