Ruling party leaders resign after election defeat

Published : Apr 28, 2011 - 10:06 Updated : Apr 28, 2011 - 11:17

The ruling Grand National Party leaders offered to resign en masse Thursday after a setback in Wednesday’s local by-elections. The party said it will form an emergency leadership panel next week.

“We are fully responsible for the defeat,” GNP chief Ahn Sang-soo said during a meeting of its supreme council.

“All the leaders will step down and the party will establish an emergency committee next week.”

Grand National Party leader Ahn Sang-soo speaks during a meeting of the party’s supreme council on Thursday. (Yonhap News)

He pledged a drastic reform of the conservative party to regain public trust.

In the elections, Sohn Hak-kyu, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party beat former GNP leader Kang Jae-sup in the conservative stronghold of Bundang on the outskirts of Seoul.

Choi Moon-soon of the DP won a governor seat in Gangwon Province over Ohm Ki-young of the GNP. The ruling party barely succeeded in safeguarding Gimhae, where candidate Kim Tae-ho beat Lee Bong-soo of the minority People’s Participation Party.

(Herald Online)