Saenuri’s Park on tour of key regions, drumming up support for ruling party
Liberal party leaders on Sunday agreed to form a joint election committee for next month’s parliamentary election in a show of their strengthened alliance after its consolidation of candidates was marred by conflict and irregularities.
“I apologize for having disappointed you,” Han Myeong-sook, chairwoman of the largest opposition Democratic United Party, told a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul.
Democratic United Party chief Han Myeong-sook (left) converses with her counterpart from the Unified Progressive Party, Lee Jung-hee, at the National Assembly in Seoul on Sunday. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)
Standing alongside her was Lee Jung-hee, one of the co-chairs of the smaller opposition Unified Progressive Party.
The two chiefs reaffirmed their commitment to the two-party alliance to try and take the legislative majority from the conservative ruling Saenuri Party.
“Ground packs after a rain and so will our alliance. Standing united, we will bring judgment on President Lee Myung-bak and his ruling Saenuri Party in this election,” Han said.
Rep. Lee, one of the three co-chairs of the UPP, said that she would fight against any attempt to undermine opposition unity.
The alliance will set up a joint committee for the April 11 election, together with liberal civic groups, she said.
Last week, the two parties announced 69 joint candidates in what could be the country’s first broad-based election alliance between political parties.
Signs of a rift surfaced, however, as defeated candidates challenged the primary results and allegations of a vote-rigging scheme arose.
At the center of controversies was Rep. Lee, who won the alliance’s ticket for Seoul’s Gwanak-B constituency, beating the seat’s current holder Rep. Kim Hee-chull.
Two of Rep. Lee’s staffers were found to have sent out text messages to about 200 UPP members, asking them to lie about their age in a telephone survey, a part of the primary process, in a bid to help Lee win the nomination. Lee on Friday gave up her nomination.
While the opposition alliance staggered over the candidate consolidation process, Saenuri chief Park Geun-hye has been on a whirl-wind tour of key regions to drum up support for her ruling camp.
On Sunday, the politician stopped at Ulsan, visiting outdoor markets and meeting with the party’s candidates there. Saenuri currently holds five out of six seats in the city.
By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldm.com)
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
