Former presidential candidate and member of the main opposition Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo on Sunday called for sweeping changes to keep the party afloat amid faltering public support against its vapid reform moves.

Ahn, a software mogul-turned-politican, urged the NPAD reform committee to overhaul the party in a way to break away from what he described as “outdated” liberal values that he said resonate little with the general public.

The former cochairman of the NPAD suggested that addressing burgeoning corruption scandal is the key to bringing the voters’ attention back to the party that has been reeling from the defeat in the latest by-election at the hands of the ruling Saenuri Party. 

“The party has been peppered with a lack of moral discipline and exclusive leadership. ... Even though calls for addressing such issues are mounting, we are not allowed to speak out by those who stick to conventional wisdom and enjoy vested interest,” Ahn said at a press conference at the National Assembly. 

“Publicizing the issues will be the first step in the right direction to overhaul the party. Breaking away from old-fashioned liberals and addressing the party’s corruption should be at the core of our efforts to rebuild the opposition party,” Ahn added. 

Ahn upping the pressure on NPAD leader Rep. Moon Jae-in and reform committee chairman Kim Sang-kon and painting them as being out of touch on reform issues was largely seen as an attempt to widen his clout within the party. Moon and Kim, for their part, rebuked Ahn’s remark as being “unconstructive.”

Kim said he would not tolerate any attempt to undermine the party’s unity and incite infighting in the party to gain political advantages.

Moon echoed Kim’s remarks, saying, “Those who sit in an important position should join efforts in the party reform.” He urged party members to restrain from “shaking” the party and come up with a plan to steer the party in the right direction instead.

The tit-for-tat reflected the party’s fractional conflicts that trace back to the origin of the reform committee. The NPAD has launched the reform committee to overhaul the party leadership that has embroiled in factional infightings between mainstream and nonmainstream lawmakers. 

Ahn, who had vied against Moon during the presidential race in 2012 before eventually giving his support, is classified as a nonmainstream member who has often questioned Moon’s leadership.  

Designed to unify the party’s divided organization, the reform committee has rolled out a total of nine proposals to reorganize the party, including ways to overhaul the party’s nomination system for elections. According to the plan, 20 percent of incumbent lawmakers who are deemed unfit would not be nominated. 

With the latest proposal aiming to deal with the party’s leadership structure, the committee’s reform initiative has faced criticism that they have failed to garner public attention it had expected in the first place.

Making matters worse, a number of NPAD heavyweights have recently been involved in corruption scandals, which have overshadowed the committee’s newly published reform plan. Han Myeong-sook, a former prime minister and NPAD member, was sentenced to two years in jail for receiving illicit political funds. 

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)