Much at stake in widened by-elections

With as many as six seats up for grabs, the by-elections in April are expected to have a major impact on the political climate ahead of the parliamentary and presidential elections next year.

Being this year’s only national-level elections, the votes could buck up or discourage the Lee Myung-bak administration as it nears its end.

Gangwon Province will have to pick a new governor as Lee Kwang-jae was stripped of the post after the Supreme Court confirmed his conviction on bribery charges Thursday.

A parliamentary seat representing Suncheon in South Jeolla Province is open as Rep. Suh Gab-won of the main opposition Democratic Party lost his legislative seat on the same day following a similar ruling by the top court.

There are two more vacancies in the National Assembly. Yim Tae-hee quit as legislator of a district in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, after he was appointed presidential chief of staff last July and Choi Chul-kook of the DP last month lost his job representing a district in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, as he was convicted of receiving kickbacks from Busan-based businessman Park Yeon-cha.

There may be more openings as Rep. Gong Sung-jin (Gangnam B, Seoul) and Rep. Hyun Gyoung-byoung (Nowon A, Seoul) of the ruling Grand National Party await Supreme Court rulings after being convicted of accepting bribes in a lower court. An elected official loses his job if he is fined more than 1 million won for a crime.

The parliamentary and local by-elections on April 27 are anticipated to be a test bed for GNP chairman Ahn Sang-soo whose leadership is widely questioned over the ruling party’s recent handling of a chief state auditor nominee and a series of inappropriate remarks.

Ahn was criticized within the GNP earlier this month for announcing the party’s opposition of former prosecutor Chung Tong-ki as chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection without prior consultations with the presidential office.

If the GNP loses the by-elections, especially in its traditional strongholds of South Gyeongsang and Gangwon, the party is likely to oust Ahn and hold an early national convention to pick a new leadership. Competition among the factions will be fierce as the next GNP leadership will be in charge of party nominations for candidacy in the general election next year. It will also manage the intra-party race for the 2012 presidential election.

As for the DP, the by-elections will be the first elections to be held under chairman Sohn Hak-kyu. Since three of the four available seats previously belonged to the DP, the opposition party is determined to redeem them.

Possible GNP contenders for Gangwon governor include ex-legislator Lee Kye-jin who lost to Lee Kwang-jae in the local elections last year, former MBC president Ohm Ki-young and ex-deputy governor for political affairs of Gangwon Choi Hong-jip.

In the DP, former deputy prime minister Kwon O-kyu, Rep. Choi Moon-soon and ex-lawmaker Cho Il-hyun are being named.

Former GNP chairman Kang Jae-seop and ex-lawmaker Park Kye-dong have vowed to run in the constituency of Bundang B, but the GNP is said to be mulling others such as former prime minister Chung Un-chan as well.

Former unification minister Lee Jong-seok and ex-MBC anchor Shin Kyung-min are among the DP’s possible candidates in Bundang.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)