The ruling Saenuri Party will kick off an official election committee for the April 11 general elections on Wednesday, with Rep. Park Geun-hye taking the chairmanship.

It will also complete its list of candidates by announcing its would-be proportional representatives on Tuesday, with Park rumored to have been ranked top.

“Rep. Park will chair the election committee, whether alone or as a co-representative,” said party spokesperson Rep. Hwang Young-cheul.

The party earlier considered naming Kim Chong-in, a leading member of the party’s emergency leadership council, as Park’s partner but Kim denied any interest in the post.

“I have not yet been offered the post and even if I were, I would not accept it,” said Kim in a radio interview earlier in the morning.

The party is thus expected to call in a non-party figure, should it adopt a joint chairmanship system.

“The committee is to consist of the leadership council members as well as some proportional representatives,” said the spokesperson.

Speculation that Rep. Park could be the No. 1 proportional representation candidate sparked a backlash.

The likely presidential candidate earlier gave up candidacy in her Daegu constituency, pledging to focus on her role as party leader and to support other party members.

Some, however, said that she should remain in the parliament to communicate more effectively throughout the crucial races.

“Detailed results will be announced tomorrow,” the spokesperson said Monday, denying the rumors that she had already fixed her status as top proportional representative.

The proportional representatives’ list is to be the party’s last chance to select innovative figures and overcome its recent candidate nomination disputes.

The party’s nomination screening committee has been sorting final candidates from 616 applicants and had individual interviews over the weekend, officials said.

The list of potential proportional representatives included Hwang Soo-kwan, a former Yonsei University professor and television star, and Chae Yeon-seok, former head of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.

The opposition party attacked the Saenuri nominations.

“The Saenuri nomination has always been about Rep. Park and her personal political interests,” said a spokesperson of the main opposition Democratic United Party.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)