Near completion of candidate selection; opposition forms alliance
 

With just one month to go before the legislative election, rival political parties have nearly completed selecting their candidates, a process marred by controversies on both ruling and opposition sides. 

A few months ago, political observers predicted a sweeping victory for the liberal opposition, citing the widespread public discontent of the incumbent President Lee Myung-bak and his ruling Saenuri Party.

However, recent polls suggest that Saenuri chairwoman Park Geun-hye has managed to regain much of the popularity that the party had lost, by bringing in fresh blood and introducing reforms.

“Many had predicted a comfortable win of the Democratic United Party, but not anymore,” said Shin Yul, a politics professor at Myeongji University in Seoul.

“By making the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and the ongoing constriction of a naval base on Jeju Island key election issues, the DUP has effectively helped rival Saenuri Party to increase its appeal,” he added.

The liberal opposition party opposes the trade deal with the U.S., scheduled to go into effect on Thursday, and the naval base plan, both initiated by the late liberal President Roh Moo-hyun.

As for Saenuri, Park’s drive to remake the party’s image and distance itself from the unpopular president appears to be making fruits, boosting its poll numbers, other pundits said.

The Saenuri is expected to confirm Monday its candidates for the Yeongnam area, the conservatives’ traditional stronghold in the southeast.

Leaders were mulling whether or not to nominate Rep. Kim Moo-sung, a veteran politician who holds sway in Busan.

“It would be hard for him to win the nomination, if we strictly apply the set criteria. But we’re giving him many thoughts,” a member of the party’s nomination committee said.

The Saenuri has earlier decided to eliminate 25 percent of incumbent lawmakers from the nomination race in order to nominate more fresh faces.

Many of the lawmakers who were denied nomination so far are pro-President Lee members, such as former health minister Rep. Chin Soo-hee and former party chief. Rep. Ahn Sang-soo. ###

Fourth-term legislator Kim was once considered the leader of a faction loyal to Rep. Park but his relation with her was estranged in recent years.

People close to him said he was likely to seek re-election as an independent candidate, should the party decide not to give him the ticket.

A key development came Saturday on the side of the liberals when leaders of the main opposition Democratic United Party and far-left minority Unified Progressive Party met.

Han Myeong-sook and Lee Jung-hee agreed to field unified candidates to win a majority of seats in the unicameral National Assembly.

Currently, the Saenuri controls 144 of the 299 parliamentary seats.

“For the first time in history, we have sealed a sweeping deal to field unified opposition candidates across the country,” DUP chairwoman Han told reporters after signing the agreement.

“We are convinced this agreement will mark the first step in returning the country’s suffering democracy to its right place,” she said.

Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Busan are shaping up to be key battlegrounds.

Of all, the contest in Busan’s Sasang constituency is drawing keen interest, after the Saenuri decided to pit a 27-year-old woman against Moon Jae-in, the DUP’s rising presidential candidate.

Saenuri chief Park is scheduled to travel to Busan this week to drum up support for its candidate, Sohn Su-jo.

Candidates will register with the national election watchdog for two days from March 22. Official campaigning will begin on March 29.


By Lee Sun-young
(milaya@heraldcorp.com)