Conservative party completes reinstatement of lawmakers

By a2016032

Published : May 7, 2017 - 09:34 Updated : May 7, 2017 - 09:34

The former ruling party on Saturday completed the reinstatement of 12 lawmakers who departed from the conservative Bareun Party earlier this week to support the presidential candidate of the rival party, a party official said.

A total of 56 party members are subject to the reinstatement, including the former lawmakers of the splinter party who announced earlier this week they will return to the former ruling party to back Hong Joon-pyo in Tuesday's presidential election.

Hong Joon-pyo of the conservative Liberty Korea Party makes a speech before a crowd of supporters in a park in Ilsan, northwest of Seoul, on May 6, 2017. (Yonhap)

"Following a special order from our nominee Hong, we have decided to accept the return of those who sought it and lift punishments for the victory of the Liberty Korea Party in the presidential race and the grand unity of conservatives," said Rep. Lee Cheol-woo, secretary-general of the party, during a press briefing at its headquarters in Seoul.

Bareun, which means "righteous" in Korean, was created earlier this year by 33 lawmakers who had defected from the former ruling party following their support for the parliamentary impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, who was still a member of the party.

On the same day, the former ruling party also lifted punishments on seven lawmakers, including those close to ousted President Park.

Experts say the decision could provoke backlashes from those who oppose the return of the 12 lawmakers and others who say the decision-making process was flawed in that it was not discussed by the party's official committee.

Meanwhile, the presidential campaigns entered the final stretch Saturday, with the vote just three days away.

The latest poll on the election published Wednesday showed Moon Jae-in of the liberal Democratic Party still in the lead with 42.4 percent, followed by Ahn Cheol-soo of the center-left People's Party and Hong with 18.6 percent each.

The other major candidates included Sim Sang-jeung of the progressive Justice Party, who in the latest poll stood in fourth place with 7.3 percent, and Yoo Seong-min of the splinter conservative Bareun Party with 4.9 percent. (Yonhap)