The Grand National Party will select a new leader on July 4 to take the helm for the general and presidential elections next year.

The ruling party’s emergency panel held its first meeting on Thursday, where they scheduled hold a national convention for that date, officials said.

The committee was launched after former party leader Ahn Sang-soo and other Supreme Council members stepped down on Sunday, taking responsibility for the party’s defeat in last month’s by-elections.

According to the party constitution, a new leader should be elected within two months of his retirement.

Though the panel easily agreed on the date, it is expected to face intense conflicts over the details.

The most disputed issue is the party constitution clause, which states that a candidate in a presidential election must step down from his or her seat to run.

Should this be changed, as requested by many lawmakers, potential presidential contenders may challenge the party leadership.

A group of conservative senior lawmakers contended that high-ranking members, and thus powerful presidential candidates, have to step down to amend the party’s present setbacks.

However, a reform-minded group including supporters of newly elected floor leader Hwang Woo-yea, oppose the revision as it would narrow the chances for a young leader to run.

“The separation of the party leadership and the presidency was based on calls from the public and the media,” said Rep. Kim Song-sik, one of the reformers, in a radio interview on Thursday.

“We have no reason to revise the party constitution and rule out that principle.”

The panel members also agreed during their meeting that the factional disputes within the party are to be eradicated once and for all in order for the party to truly renovate itself.

“It is the panel’s mission to fuse the factional feuds between pro-Park and pro-Lee groups,” said Rep. Won Yoo-chul, a pro-Lee member of the panel.

“We should all come together as pro-GNP members.”

Rep. Kim Seong-jo, a pro-Park lawmaker, also said that the party will have no future if its emergency panel fails to achieve harmony.

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