Some of those denied candidacy move to run as
independents
The main opposition Democratic United Party and far-left Unified Progressive Party announced their unified set of candidates for the upcoming general elections on Monday, stepping up their moves to secure a parliamentary majority.
UPP co-leader Rep. Lee Jung-hee and In Jae-keun, widow of former DUP adviser Kim Geun-tae, were included in the list of unified candidates for 69 constituencies, who were picked through an opinion poll contest over the weekend.
The announcement came about a week after the major opposition parties agreed to forge a strategic alliance, which analysts say would pose a formidable challenge to the ruling Saenuri Party and brighten the opposition camp’s electoral prospects.
“People and our history will remember these candidates who made a decision of compromise and sacrifice in accordance with the public’s order to deliver judgment on the administration led by President Lee Myung-bak and his Saenuri Party,” DUP leader Han Myeong-sook told a press conference.
“The DUP will achieve a victory against the current administration through this opposition alliance that was forged by the people.”
The announcement was immediately met with strong resistance from a series of DUP members denied candidacy. They indicated they would run as independents, a move that could undermine the alliance and divide the opposition vote.
For Gwanak-B district in southern Seoul, UPP co-head Rep. Lee beat Kim Hee-chull, a DUP lawmaker currently representing the district, in the opinion poll contest. In Jae-keun of the DUP won the unified ticket in a contest against the UPP’s Lee Baek-man, the former senior public affairs secretary for late President Roh Moo-hyun.
Including Rep. Lee, most of the big-name UPP politicians gained candidacy for the April 11 elections.
UPP co-head Shim Sang-jung, its co-spokesperson Roh Hoi-chan and Cheon Ho-sun, spokesperson for President Roh, secured unified candidacy for Deokyang-gap in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province; Nowon-byeong in Seoul; and Eunpyeong-eul, respectively.
In an upset, however, UPP Rep. Cho Seung-soo lost to his DUP rival Sim Kyu-myeong in the race for the Namgu-gap district in the UPP’s traditional stronghold of Ulsan on the southeastern coast.
DUP’s presidential aspirants, Reps. Chung Sye-kyun and Chung Dong-young also gained their party’s tickets for the Jongno and Gangnam-eul districts, both in Seoul.
For Jongno, dubbed the country’s No.1 political avenue, Chung will vie against his rival Hong Sa-duk, six-term ruling Saenuri lawmaker. For the affluent Gangnam district, Chung will fight against former Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon.
Under the strategic alliance, the two parties have agreed to unify their candidacy for 78 constituencies. In Monday’s announcement, 69 unified candidates were unveiled with the remaining nine to be selected before the end of the two-day candidate registration period on Friday.
Though the candidate nomination process is getting closer to its tail end, the repercussions are still resonating in a series of districts where those denied candidacy argue that their competitors employed inappropriate measures to win the nomination contest.
Particularly in the DUP’s stronghold of the southwestern Honam region, many of those denied candidacy are preparing to run as independents, specifically in four of the eight districts in Gwangju.
By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldm.com)
The main opposition Democratic United Party and far-left Unified Progressive Party announced their unified set of candidates for the upcoming general elections on Monday, stepping up their moves to secure a parliamentary majority.
UPP co-leader Rep. Lee Jung-hee and In Jae-keun, widow of former DUP adviser Kim Geun-tae, were included in the list of unified candidates for 69 constituencies, who were picked through an opinion poll contest over the weekend.
The announcement came about a week after the major opposition parties agreed to forge a strategic alliance, which analysts say would pose a formidable challenge to the ruling Saenuri Party and brighten the opposition camp’s electoral prospects.
“People and our history will remember these candidates who made a decision of compromise and sacrifice in accordance with the public’s order to deliver judgment on the administration led by President Lee Myung-bak and his Saenuri Party,” DUP leader Han Myeong-sook told a press conference.
“The DUP will achieve a victory against the current administration through this opposition alliance that was forged by the people.”
The announcement was immediately met with strong resistance from a series of DUP members denied candidacy. They indicated they would run as independents, a move that could undermine the alliance and divide the opposition vote.
For Gwanak-B district in southern Seoul, UPP co-head Rep. Lee beat Kim Hee-chull, a DUP lawmaker currently representing the district, in the opinion poll contest. In Jae-keun of the DUP won the unified ticket in a contest against the UPP’s Lee Baek-man, the former senior public affairs secretary for late President Roh Moo-hyun.
Including Rep. Lee, most of the big-name UPP politicians gained candidacy for the April 11 elections.
UPP co-head Shim Sang-jung, its co-spokesperson Roh Hoi-chan and Cheon Ho-sun, spokesperson for President Roh, secured unified candidacy for Deokyang-gap in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province; Nowon-byeong in Seoul; and Eunpyeong-eul, respectively.
In an upset, however, UPP Rep. Cho Seung-soo lost to his DUP rival Sim Kyu-myeong in the race for the Namgu-gap district in the UPP’s traditional stronghold of Ulsan on the southeastern coast.
DUP’s presidential aspirants, Reps. Chung Sye-kyun and Chung Dong-young also gained their party’s tickets for the Jongno and Gangnam-eul districts, both in Seoul.
For Jongno, dubbed the country’s No.1 political avenue, Chung will vie against his rival Hong Sa-duk, six-term ruling Saenuri lawmaker. For the affluent Gangnam district, Chung will fight against former Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon.
Under the strategic alliance, the two parties have agreed to unify their candidacy for 78 constituencies. In Monday’s announcement, 69 unified candidates were unveiled with the remaining nine to be selected before the end of the two-day candidate registration period on Friday.
Though the candidate nomination process is getting closer to its tail end, the repercussions are still resonating in a series of districts where those denied candidacy argue that their competitors employed inappropriate measures to win the nomination contest.
Particularly in the DUP’s stronghold of the southwestern Honam region, many of those denied candidacy are preparing to run as independents, specifically in four of the eight districts in Gwangju.
By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldm.com)
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