Opinions were divided within the ruling Grand National Party on whether to abolish the current chairperson and Supreme Council system, as suggested by an in-party panel.

“The current system of a single chairperson and five supreme councilors should be replaced by an open-door national committee,” Lee Sang-don, a leading member of the party’s interim leadership council, told reporters Tuesday.

The abolition of the decision-making body is the key prerequisite in order to decentralize powers and to embrace a wider range of party members, he claimed.

The senior councilor has so far made other calls for progressive and drastic reform, including his earlier suggestion to eliminate the term “conservative” from the party platform.

“The recent vote-buying scandal also was a result of the overheated competition over party leadership,” he said.

Though Lee underlined that the plan is yet to undergo further discussion, his blueprint nevertheless caused feuds even within the interim council.

“Graft scandals may repeat themselves in the future, unless we put an end to the decades-long power structure,” said Rep. Kwong Young-jin in a radio interview Wednesday, assenting to Lee’s bold measures.

Kwon is also a member of Lee’s subcommittee and one of the party’s reformative figures.

However, Rep. Joo Kwang-deok, another reformer within the council, claimed that the suggestion is premature, and that it should be put off until after the imminent general elections.

The party’s secretary-general Kwon Young-se also expressed concerns that the sudden restructuring could be untimely and extreme.

“I believe that Lee’s idea is not to overturn the entire system but to share opinions over possible renewal plans,” Kwon said in a radio program.

“Also, the council does not possess the exclusive right to make such decisions and should first let party members and supporters reach a consensus.”

The issue is expected to be on the agenda of the council’s general meeting slated for Thursday, officials said.

The decision-making body will also consider the revision of the party platform next week.

The suggested platform changes include changing the theme of the first clause from “politics” to “welfare,” according to the council’s policy subcommittee.

The term “big market, small government” in the second clause may also be changed to “small but strong government.”

While the council mulled the restructuring plan, the GNP’s policy think tank made a preparatory move in connection with revision of the party name.

In a recent internal survey by the Yeouido Institute, a majority of GNP lawmakers and key party members agreed that the current title, GNP, should be changed, officials said.

“I am ready to adopt a new party name, should the members so request,” said Rep. Park Geun-hye last week.

She thereby denied the possibility of closing down the party, but acknowledged that the name GNP largely carries a negative image among the public.

The interim leadership body is expected to make the final decision on the matter as early as Thursday, according to officials.

In case the party leadership reaches a consensus on changing the party’s title, it is to summon a national committee next month to put the issue to a vote.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)