Discussions on unification continue

[Anchor]

The People Power Party is experiencing discord surrounding the unification of presidential candidates, and today (May 9) is proving to be a long and tense day.

Candidate Kim Moon-soo from the People Power Party and independent candidate Han Duck-soo are currently meeting at the National Assembly for unification negotiations.

The party is also holding a general meeting to discuss unification plans.

First, let's go to the National Assembly.

Reporter Park Young-min, are the representatives for each candidate seated now?

[Reporter]

Yes, Kim Jae-won, the chief of staff for candidate Kim Moon-soo, and Son Young-taek, the chief of staff for independent candidate Han Duck-soo, are meeting under the chairmanship of Lee Yang-soo, the secretary-general of the People Power Party. They started unification negotiations at 8:30 PM.

This is a resumption of negotiations just one day after the two candidates attempted to negotiate directly yesterday (May 8) but reached no agreement.

This time, two representatives from each candidate's side are participating in the negotiations instead of the candidates themselves.

A closed-door general meeting is also underway, which started at 8 PM.

It is reported that they are exchanging opinions regarding the unification of candidates.

Over the past two days, the People Power Party had conducted a poll for the single preferred candidate. There is great interest in whether those results will be shared.

This poll asked party members and the general public who they believe is the more suitable candidate between Kim Moon-soo and Han Duck-soo as the final presidential candidate for the People Power Party.

However, because the Public Official Election Act prohibits the announcement of the poll results, only a rough conclusion will be shared internally.

[Anchor]

The results of the unification polls have come out, and there is not much time left.
Tonight seems to be a critical turning point.

What kind of situations are expected to unfold based on the discussion results?

[Reporter]

There are three main possible scenarios based on the results of the unification negotiations and the general meeting.

First, if the poll results show that candidate Kim is leading, it is expected that he will be confirmed as the candidate and the candidate registration process will proceed.

On the other hand, if candidate Han shows a leading result, it is anticipated that procedures will be followed to nominate him as the final presidential candidate at the national committee meeting scheduled for the 11th.

If a consensus for candidate replacement is reached in today's general meeting, the emergency committee will move to reselect the candidate, and the election committee will vote on the invalidation of candidate Kim's nomination and the selection of a new candidate.

If there is a majority agreement after a vote among all party members, candidate Han will be elected at the national committee meeting, which will have the same effect as a party convention on the 11th.

However, if both candidates agree to unify, it is expected that the procedures will proceed according to the discussed results.

This has been KBS News' Park Young-min from the National Assembly.