The proposal came as Rep. Kim Moo-sung and his followers have hinted at the possibility of defecting to the LKP that has pursued a tie-up with the Bareun Party as part of efforts to unite the fractured conservative bloc.

Kim has indicated that he would determine whether to leave the party after a general meeting of all party lawmakers Sunday.

"The call for delaying the leadership election is an act that hampers it," Yoo told Yonhap News Agency over the phone.

"When a new leadership is elected, the first thing it should do is to regroup the party and shore up public support. ... What members should basically do is to help the party function well," he added.

Yoo and those against the merger have sought to position their party as a reformist conservative alternative to the LKP, which they view as a group of outdated old guards with ties to corruption-tainted former President Park Geun-hye.

Meanwhile, the LKP leadership has been pushing to strip Park of party membership, as some of the Bareun Party lawmakers demanded her departure as a precondition for any merger with the main opposition party.

The Bareun Party splintered off from the LKP late last year amid an intense factional feud over the massive corruption scandal involving the disgraced former president.

The LKP is expected to convene a session of its decision-making Supreme Council to determine whether to force Park out. The party has been divided over Park's departure, as her sympathizers and loyalists oppose it, arguing she is a victim of "political retribution."

The LKP seeks to promote unity among conservatives as it strives to rein in the increasingly assertive liberal ruling bloc. (Yonhap)