Factional fighting is gripping the Democratic United Party as it reels from the aftermath of its defeat in last week’s presidential election.

DUP lawmakers agreed during Monday’s general meeting to elect the floor leader within the year, and to also have the new floor leader head the emergency committee.

The main opposition party also named Rep. Kim Woo-nam to chair the election committee and gave him the authority to name the committee members.

The process of establishing the emergency committee to oversee the party until the new leadership can be elected at next year’s party convention has been fraught with internal strife as fringe members blamed the pro-Roh Moo-hyun faction for the defeat in the Dec. 19 presidential election.

The first round of infighting appears to have gone in the favor of those opposing the pro-Roh faction, with the party’s administrative committee ruling that Rep. Moon Jae-in does not have the right to appoint the chief of the emergency committee.

Moon has stepped in as acting chairman since the party’s leadership, including former chairman Rep. Lee Hae-chan, stepped down on Nov. 18 in an effort to facilitate the merger of Moon’s campaign with that of former candidate and Seoul National University professor Ahn Cheol-soo.

The opposing factions had locked horns over the interpretation of the delegation of chairman’s authority, with one side saying that Moon maintained the chairman’s powers as they were given to him in his capacity as a lawmaker rather than that of the presidential candidate. The fringe faction had argued that Moon’s authority as the acting chairman expired with the election, and that the new floor leader should head the emergency committee.

For his part, Moon is said to have made it clear that he will not be exercising the powers of the acting chairman with regards to the matter.

“If Moon reported (that he will not exercise the powers of the acting chairman) it, then the matter is closed,” DUP’s former floor leader Park Jie-won said on Monday.

Regarding the issue of whether the new floor leader will also head the emergency committee, Park said that the matter was under discussion, and that some have called for Moon to take larger share of the responsibility by relinquishing his National Assembly seat.

However, the process itself of electing the floor leader appears likely to be affected by factionalism within the party.

Although the pro-Roh faction is reported to have not put forward a candidate for the election, it is likely to back a candidate with whom it has some ties in a strategy to retain some influence in the party.

Rep. Kim Han-kil and others of the so-called “reform faction” are also seen as likely to make a move for the floor leader’s position.

In addition to the factions’ influence in the election process, the duration of the term for the new floor leader appears to act as an obstacle.

While the newly elected floor leader is set to serve only until the end of Park’s term in May, some of those hoping to run for the seat are said to be calling for a term of one year be guaranteed.

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