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Saenuri picks 27-year-old Sohn to fight Moon Jae-in; DUP denies former ministers candidacy
By Lee Sun-young
Major political parties Monday moved to cut a significant number of incumbent lawmakers in their selection of candidates for the April legislative election in a bid to solicit more support.
The moves, widely expected as polls show deep disillusionment and anti-incumbent mood among voters, led to strong outcries from the politicians who were denied candidacy of their affiliated parties. Many said they would defect and run as an independent.
The ruling Saenuri Party announced 13 constituencies for strategic nominations and announced its second batch of candidates, numbering 81.
Six-term Rep. Hong Sa-duck was chosen to stand in a constituency of Jongno at the heart of Seoul, while 27-year-old political novice Sohn Soo-jo will fight the Busan Sasang constituency against Moon Jae-in, the liberal opposition’s risinig presidential candidate.
Meanwehil, the 13 strategic districts include constituencies of Reps. Chin Soo-hee, Chun Yu-ok and Shin Ji-ho, all considered to be loyal to President Lee Myung-bak.
Rep. Chun, in particular, has been a vocal critic of Rep. Park Geun-hye, Lee‘s former rival during the presidential nomination race and now Saenuri’s chief and prohibitive presidential candidate.
Strategic nomination means that the party leaders will handpick a candidate from, or regardless of, the current pool of applicants.
“Strategic nomination doesn‘t necessarily mean de-selection of a incumbent representative,” explained Rep. Hwang Young-chu, the party’s spokesperson, during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul.
Yet, many party insiders viewed that the incumbent lawmakers from those districts are almost certain to be denied the party‘s ticket.
“I can’t help but think that I was discriminated against because I belongs to the pro-Lee faction. I demand party leaders to explain the reasons why my constituency was included,” Rep. Shin told a press conference after the list of 13 was announced.
Rep. Chun also cried foul, raising suspicion about chief Park‘s political intentions behind the decision.
Saenuri, struggling to turn its flagging fortunes around in the crucial poll, has decided earlier to rate its lawmakers on public popularity and scrip the bottom 25 percent, or around 30 of them, of their chances to seek reelection under the party’s banner.
On the opposition‘s side, the Democratic United Party announced Monday candidates for its traditional stronghold of Honam region, replacing nearly half of its incumbent lawmakers with new faces.
Of the main opposition party’s 28 lawmakers, it eliminated six incumbents in the nomination race, while six other decided to challenge a new constituency or to forego re-election at all. The party decided not to field none in a constituency in Gwangju, after a voluntary campaigner jumped to his death amid allegations of irregularities.
The six who were denied the nomination are Reps. Cho Young-teck, Choi In-kee, Kim Youn-jin, Kim Jae-kyun, Kang Bong-kyun and Shin Kuhn.
All six claimed it was an unfair decision, while the first four said they would run as independent candidates.
“The candidate selection committee, with no proper criteria or guideline, dropped candidates who have no reasons to be disqualified,” they said in a joint statement.
(milaya@heraldcorp.com)
By Lee Sun-young
Major political parties Monday moved to cut a significant number of incumbent lawmakers in their selection of candidates for the April legislative election in a bid to solicit more support.
The moves, widely expected as polls show deep disillusionment and anti-incumbent mood among voters, led to strong outcries from the politicians who were denied candidacy of their affiliated parties. Many said they would defect and run as an independent.
The ruling Saenuri Party announced 13 constituencies for strategic nominations and announced its second batch of candidates, numbering 81.
Six-term Rep. Hong Sa-duck was chosen to stand in a constituency of Jongno at the heart of Seoul, while 27-year-old political novice Sohn Soo-jo will fight the Busan Sasang constituency against Moon Jae-in, the liberal opposition’s risinig presidential candidate.
Meanwehil, the 13 strategic districts include constituencies of Reps. Chin Soo-hee, Chun Yu-ok and Shin Ji-ho, all considered to be loyal to President Lee Myung-bak.
Rep. Chun, in particular, has been a vocal critic of Rep. Park Geun-hye, Lee‘s former rival during the presidential nomination race and now Saenuri’s chief and prohibitive presidential candidate.
Strategic nomination means that the party leaders will handpick a candidate from, or regardless of, the current pool of applicants.
“Strategic nomination doesn‘t necessarily mean de-selection of a incumbent representative,” explained Rep. Hwang Young-chu, the party’s spokesperson, during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul.
Yet, many party insiders viewed that the incumbent lawmakers from those districts are almost certain to be denied the party‘s ticket.
“I can’t help but think that I was discriminated against because I belongs to the pro-Lee faction. I demand party leaders to explain the reasons why my constituency was included,” Rep. Shin told a press conference after the list of 13 was announced.
Rep. Chun also cried foul, raising suspicion about chief Park‘s political intentions behind the decision.
Saenuri, struggling to turn its flagging fortunes around in the crucial poll, has decided earlier to rate its lawmakers on public popularity and scrip the bottom 25 percent, or around 30 of them, of their chances to seek reelection under the party’s banner.
On the opposition‘s side, the Democratic United Party announced Monday candidates for its traditional stronghold of Honam region, replacing nearly half of its incumbent lawmakers with new faces.
Of the main opposition party’s 28 lawmakers, it eliminated six incumbents in the nomination race, while six other decided to challenge a new constituency or to forego re-election at all. The party decided not to field none in a constituency in Gwangju, after a voluntary campaigner jumped to his death amid allegations of irregularities.
The six who were denied the nomination are Reps. Cho Young-teck, Choi In-kee, Kim Youn-jin, Kim Jae-kyun, Kang Bong-kyun and Shin Kuhn.
All six claimed it was an unfair decision, while the first four said they would run as independent candidates.
“The candidate selection committee, with no proper criteria or guideline, dropped candidates who have no reasons to be disqualified,” they said in a joint statement.
(milaya@heraldcorp.com)
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Articles by Korea Herald
