Presidential candidates Moon Jae-in and Ahn Cheol-soo resumed their talks for a single progressive candidacy Sunday, signaling it with a joint political reform declaration, as they dramatically overcame their differences upon an en-masse resignation of the Democratic United Party’s leadership.

The talks for the method of selecting a single progressive candidate between Moon of DUP and independent Ahn Cheol-soo are hence to resume Monday with some new representatives to freshen up the negotiation after a week of feuding.

With the duo’s reconciliation with renewed resolve to defeat frontrunner Park Geun-hye of the ruling Saenuri Party, the race to the presidency is likely to heat up a week before their final candidacy registration, and with 30 days remaining until the election day.

The joint declaration on new politics, which was set as a precondition for merging their campaigns when the plans were announced on Nov. 6, came minutes after Moon and Ahn met late Sunday evening.

“It is fortunate to sit down to face each other again. The working level talks will also be resumed in order to not concern the public,” Moon said ahead of the meeting.

Ahn said that he would “make a country that can move onto a new era by defeating Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye.”

In the joint declaration, the two agreed to reduce the power held by the president, and to introduce tougher anti-corruption measures for government officials.

Under the plans, the prime minister’s right to nominate cabinet members and to remove them would be guaranteed, and the president’s right to pardon criminals would be exercised with greater restraint.

In addition, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office’s Central Investigation Department would be dissolved, and an independent body for investigating corruption of high-level officials established.

The two also agreed to adjust the number of parliamentary seats by increasing the number of proportional lawmakers while decreasing the number of those representing constituencies.

While most of the measures were included in reform and anti-corruption measures the two had drawn up separately, reducing the number of assembly seats had been a sticking point for the two main progressive candidates, with Moon criticizing Ahn for making the “unrealistic” suggestion.

On Nov. 14, Ahn’s negotiators suspended the talks over the method the two sides would use to select the unified candidate citing unfair play from the DUP and Moon’s camp.

Before the talks were suspended, the details were being worked out by Reps. Park Young-sun, Yoon Ho-jung and Kim Ki-sik of the DUP and Cho Kwang-hee, Geum Tae-seop and Lee Tae-kyu of Ahn’s camp.

Sunday’s meeting was arranged after Ahn said that he would meet Moon at the earliest possible time at a press conference in Gwangju, soon after the latter announced that he would follow the candidate selection method chosen by the former academic.

Moon’s earlier announcement had come hard on the heels of the DUP leaders’ announcement that they would step down en-masse.

DUP chairman Lee Hae-chan and the entire supreme council announced that they would step down in an effort to bring Ahn back to the table.

“History and the era is urgently calling for administration change. As such, I put down the heavy and proud responsibilities of party chairman and of supreme council member, because our position must not provide the excuse to avoid or delay the unification,” Lee said in a press conference. Floor leader Rep. Park Jie-won, meanwhile, decided to stay on until the end of the year to take care of parliamentary matters.

Key points of joint declaration on new politics

- Guarantee power for the prime minister to recommend appointment, dismissal of Cabinet members

- Not to offer public posts to election campaigners

- Exclude those with history of irregularities, corruption in appointments for high-posts

- Toughen rules on retired public servants holding positions at relevant organizations

- Stop abuse of the presidential pardon

- Abolish the Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, establish independent agency to investigate corruption of high-ranking public servants

- Ban lawmakers from holding paid outside positions, scrap pension for former lawmakers

- Set up committee of civil experts to review lawmakers’ annual expenditure

- Adjust number of parliamentary seats by increasing proportional representatives and decreasing constituencies

- Establish permanent parliamentary audit system

- Scrap partisan nomination of local assemblymen

- Achieve single candidacy for a broader victory of the presidency

- Invariably cooperate after election to fulfil the responsibility of solidarity under the principle of trust

By Choi He-suk  (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)