Nine elected candidates to compete in national convention on Jan. 15
The main opposition Democratic Unified Party held a preliminary race Monday to sort out the final candidates for the party’s leadership race next month.
The elected chairperson, along with the decision-making body, is to lead the newly formed party through next year’s general and presidential elections.
The race was to select nine from among the 16 candidates -- 11 from the former Democratic Party and five from the former Citizens’ Integration Party.
Eyes were drawn to the power struggle between the DP group and the pro-Roh Moo-hyun CIP, between whom differences remain despite the difficulty-plagued integration earlier this month.
The main liberal camp has been divided since the Uri Party, the predecessor of the DP, broke up in 2007 and aides to former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun left the group.
Though the two have united, they are expected to undergo further internal conflicts.
The DP group’s senior-most candidates include former floor leader Rep. Park Jie-won and former policy committee chairperson Rep. Park Young-sun.
The former was believed to have a huge lead in the party’s leadership race but temporarily faltered upon the turbulence displayed in the party’s internal vote on left-wing unity with the CIP.
As the aspiring chairman firmly stood against former leader Rep. Sohn Hak-kyu’s unity blueprints, he was accused of being responsible, at least partly, for the violent clashes between the party’s key members and those who boycotted the inter-party merger.
The younger Park, though she lost in the DP’s internal race and gave way in the left-wing’s Seoul mayoral candidacy to Park Won-soon earlier this year, has gained general support for her policies and energetic image.
The CIP faction is largely represented by pro-Roh figures such as former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook and former actor Moon Seong-geun.
Han waged a tight contest against conservative Mayor Oh Se-hoon in last year’s Seoul mayoral race but refrained from entering this year’s by-election and has so far maintained a low profile.
Her support rate has nevertheless risen within the liberal camp, especially since a lower court acquitted her of her long-standing bribery allegations in October.
The nine selected candidates are to participate in the party’s national convention on Jan. 15 and thus kick off their campaigns on Tuesday.
The leadership election is to consist of a combination vote of party delegates (30 percent) and citizens (70 percent).
By Bae Hyun-jung
(
tellme@heraldcorp.com)
