An opposition politician not aligned with any faction appears likely to become the next interim chief of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, experts and reports predicted on Sunday, as the main opposition party sets to address a three-way crisis in the coming weeks.

Many names have been tossed around for the next potential party leader. But fears of worsening factionalism amid a crisis have convinced senior NPAD officials to select a middle-ground individual who is believed to be somewhat “moderate,” as their new boss.

Irrespective of the coming nomination of a new head, a series of quagmires is likely to pull the next chief down the political rabbit hole if he or she does not play a delicate balancing game, experts said.

NPAD officials Ahn Hee-jung, current governor of South Chungcheong Province, Rep. Lee Seok-hyun, current deputy speaker of the National Assembly, and Rep. Park Byeong-seug, a former deputy speaker, have been named as possible candidates.

NPAD approval ratings earlier this month fell below the 20 percent mark, according to Realmeter, an opinion surveyor, marking the party’s worst-ever rating since its founding in March. The NPAD’s ongoing partial boycott of the parliament over the special Sewol bill appears to be gaining more critics than supporters, by having caused a months-long legislative deadlock, undermining public trust, experts said of the survey.

A leadership crisis has also rubbed salt onto the NPAD’s wounds, after critics questioned floor leader Rep. Park Young-sun’s leadership abilities. Park had failed to reach a conclusive deal with the governing Saenuri Party over the special Sewol bill despite weeks of negotiations. She had reached an agreement twice, only to have the families of those killed in the Sewol accident oppose the compromise, forcing her to overturn a deal she herself had agreed to. No deal appears near with talks between Park and her Saenuri counterpart Rep. Lee Wan-koo reaching no agreement as of 5 p.m. Sunday.

Meanwhile, existing factionalism burst into in-house bickering last week when Park proposed appointing a former official of the conservative Grand National Party, Lee Sang-don, as a party cochair, alongside a progressive individual. Lee is reputed to be a moderate conservative. The GNP was the forerunner of the Saenuri Party.

Rep. Jung Cheong-rae, a leader of the so-called “486” faction and a hard-liner, likened Park’s suggestion to “an attack against the fundamentals of the NPAD.”

NPAD floor leader Rep. Park Young-sun has led the party since former cochairs Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Han-gil stepped down to take responsibility for a landslide loss to the ruling party in the July 30 by-elections. Park vowed to overhaul the party to stage a stronger showing in the coming 2016 general and 2017 presidential elections.

By Jeong Hunny (hj257@heraldcorp.com)