The ruling Saenuri Party is likely to give its ticket to Rep. Lee Jae-oh, a close confidant of President Lee Myung-bak, to run in the upcoming parliamentary election, local reports said Sunday.

The party has finalized the first batch of candidates, numbering about 40, who will run in the April 11 parliamentary election under the party’s banner. Four-time lawmaker Lee is included in the list, the Yonhap news agency and other media outlets reported.

“The list, including Lee, will be reported to the emergency leadership council tomorrow and then will be announced to the media,” Yonhap cited an unnamed party official as saying.

Lee currently represents a constituency in the capital’s northern district of Eunpyeong.

The reports also said that Saenuri has decided to name “strategic candidates” for races in Gangnam, Seoul’s posh residential area south of Han River.

Gangnam has been the conservatives’ vote pocket, but recent polls show that Saenuri faces tough competition from the liberal opposition Democratic United Party.

Lee, leading a group of lawmakers loyal to the president within Saenuri has been under pressure to retire from politics from Saenuri’s new leadership team headed by the president’s former rival and potential successor Park Geun-hye.

The party has been trying to distance itself from the unpopular president, as polls show widespread public disapproval of the current administration. 

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)