▲ 성선제 국민의힘 탈당 기자회견 사진  © 성선제 사무소 제공

“국힘, 불공정·비상식적 결정으로 세종시민 버렸다”

향후 거취는 ‘모든 가능성 열어둬’

성선제 세종갑 국회의원 예비후보가 28일 오후 2시 세종시청 정음실에서 기자회견을 열고 국민의힘 탈당을 선언했다.

성선제 예비후보를 지지하던 당원들 또한 탈당계를 제출했다고 알려진 가운데 국민의힘 세종갑 단수공천 사태가 연쇄 탈당으로 이어지는 모양세다.

먼저 성 후보는 “개인적으로도, 대한민국의 보수 정당에게도 슬픈 이야기를 드려야만 한다, 참담한 심정으로 국민의힘을 떠난다”며 “민주자유당 시절부터 잃어버린 10년, 탄핵 정국 속에서도 30년 동안 단 한 번도 떠나본 적이 없다”고 밝혔다.

이어 “선거기간이 아니어도 눈이 오나 비가 오나 바보처럼 성실하게 바보처럼 성실하게 시민의 목소리를 경청했다”며 “그러나 국민의힘은 국민 여러분보다는 정당에 충성하는 자를 단수공천하는 불공정·비상식적 결정을 내리며 사실상 세종시민을 외면했다”고 주장했다.

또한 단수공천된 후보를 겨냥해 “면접장에서 인지도 지적을 받고, 지역구보다는 서울에 공을 들인 사람을 위해 경선도 없이 단수공천 한다면 앞으로 누가 지역주민들과 소통하겠나”라고 질문을 던졌다.

마지막으로 성 후보는 “저는 앞으로도 제 이름처럼 성실하게, 선하게, 제대로 정치하기 위해 떠난다”며 “그동안 사랑해주신 당원동지 여러분, 세종시민 여러분, 앞으로 성선제를 지켜봐 주시고 응원해달라”고 전하는 한편 향후 행보에 대해서는 “모든 가능성을 열어둔 채 깊이 고민하고 결정하겠다”고 여지를 남겼다.

탈당을 선언한 성선제 예비후보는 그동안 세종시는 보수정당에서 지역과 무관한 인사들을 수혈했고 그 결과 한 번도 국회의원을 배출하지 못한 지역이라며, 2012년 세종시가 출범하면서 치러진 19대 총선에서는 민주당 이해찬 전 국회의원이 압승했고 심지어 20대 총선에서는 무소속으로 출마했음에도 당선되는 기염을 토했다고 말했다.

20대 총선 당시 보수정당은 비례에서 제3정당인 국민의당조차 2%p 차이로 겨우 이겼고 민주당에게는 10%p 가까운 격차로 패배했다.

21대 총선에서는 김중로 전 국회의원과 자칭 ‘세종시 설계자’라는 김병준 전 위원장까지 긴급수혈했지만 각각 32.79%(민주당 56.45%), 39.68%(민주당 57.96%)로 대패하며 세종시 민주당 시대를 열어줬다.

22대 총선을 앞둔 현재도 세종갑은 단수공천 사태로, 세종을 지역은 중앙인사 투입과 토박이 차별 등 이슈로 진통을 겪고 있어 귀추가 주목된다.

*아래는 위 기사를 '구글 번역'으로 번역한 영문 기사의 [전문]입니다. '구글번역'은 이해도를 높이기를 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 영문 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 전제로 합니다.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.>

Sejong-gap Seong Seon-je, preliminary candidate, withdrew from the People Power Party

  “National power abandoned Sejong citizens through unfair and unreasonable decisions.”

  Future direction: ‘Keep all possibilities open’

Seong Seon-je, a preliminary candidate for the National Assembly of Sejong-gap, held a press conference in the Jeongeum Room of Sejong City Hall at 2 pm on the 28th and declared his withdrawal from the People Power Party.

It is known that party members who supported preliminary candidate Seong Seon-je also submitted a statement of withdrawal from the party, and it seems that the People Power Party's Sejong-Gap single nomination incident is leading to a series of withdrawals from the party.

First, Candidate Seong said, “I have to tell a sad story both personally and to the conservative political parties of the Republic of Korea. I am leaving the People Power Party with a devastated feeling.” He added, “10 years have been lost since the days of the Democratic Liberal Party, and even during the impeachment situation, I have not left once for 30 years.” “I’ve never seen it before,” he said.

He continued, “Even if it was not an election period, we listened to the voices of citizens as sincerely as a fool, regardless of whether it was snowing or raining.” He continued, “However, the People Power Party made an unfair and unreasonable decision to nominate only those who are loyal to the political party rather than the people. He claimed, “They virtually ignored the citizens of Sejong.”

In addition, targeting candidates who were single-nominated, he asked the question, “If a single nomination is made without a primary for a person whose popularity was pointed out at the interview and who put effort into Seoul rather than the constituency, who will communicate with local residents in the future?”

Lastly, Candidate Seong said, “I am leaving to continue to pursue politics faithfully, well, and properly, as my name suggests.” He added, “To all my party members and Sejong citizens who have loved me so far, please watch over and support Seong Seon-je in the future.” He also said about his future actions. He left room to say, “I will think deeply and make a decision while keeping all possibilities open.”

Prospective candidate Seong Seon-je, who announced his withdrawal from the party, said that Sejong City has been receiving unrelated personnel from the conservative party and as a result has never produced a member of the National Assembly. In the 19th general election held when Sejong City was launched in 2012, former Democratic Party candidate Lee Hae-chan He said that he won a landslide victory as a member of the National Assembly and even showed signs of winning the 20th general election even though he ran as an independent.

During the 20th general election, the conservative party narrowly defeated the People's Party, the third largest party in terms of proportion, by a margin of 2% points, and lost to the Democratic Party by a margin of close to 10% points.

In the 21st general election, former National Assembly member Kim Jung-ro and former Chairman Kim Byeong-jun, the self-proclaimed “designer of Sejong City,” made an emergency blood transfusion, but were defeated by a landslide score of 32.79% (Democratic Party 56.45%) and 39.68% (Democratic Party 57.96%), respectively, ushering in the era of the Sejong City Democratic Party.

Even now, ahead of the 22nd general election, Sejong-gap is suffering from a single nomination situation, and the Sejong-eul region is suffering from issues such as the appointment of central personnel and discrimination against native-born residents, so attention is being paid to it.