The leaders of two liberal opposition parties agreed to finalize their
negotiations this week to form an alliance for the upcoming general elections to
boost liberals’ chances to beat their conservative rivals, party officials said
Tuesday.
Chairwoman Han Myeong-sook of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) and Chairwoman Lee Jung-hee of the progressive minor Unified Progressive Party (UPP) held a meeting at the National Assembly and agreed to announce a joint statement on Thursday, the parties’ spokesmen said in a joint press briefing.
“A liberal alliance is the beginning of establishing a firm central axis to win parliamentary elections, change power and establish a liberal government,” Han said during the meeting.
Lee said the two parties should form a “nationwide, comprehensive alliance” to beat ruling party candidates.
The main issues to discuss concerning the agreement will include how to field united candidates in some of the key districts and conduct a joint campaign on the main election pledges, the officials said.
Both parties opposed to the free trade agreement with the United States and vowed to curb power of the nation’s family-run conglomerates to expand welfare benefits for ordinary people.
The alliance move for the April vote has been closely watched as the election results could further affect liberals’ bid to win the presidential race in December.
It is the first time in two decades South Korea will elect a new parliament and a new president in the same year.
The DUP was born out of a merger between the main opposition party and a novice party in December, while the UPP was established through a merger of three minor progressive parties during the same month.
Chairwoman Han Myeong-sook of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) and Chairwoman Lee Jung-hee of the progressive minor Unified Progressive Party (UPP) held a meeting at the National Assembly and agreed to announce a joint statement on Thursday, the parties’ spokesmen said in a joint press briefing.
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| The main opposition Democratic United Party leader Han Myeong-sook (right) meets Tuesday with Rep. Lee Jung-hee, one of the joint leaders of the minority Unified Progressive Party, to discuss the left-wing alliance. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald) |
“A liberal alliance is the beginning of establishing a firm central axis to win parliamentary elections, change power and establish a liberal government,” Han said during the meeting.
Lee said the two parties should form a “nationwide, comprehensive alliance” to beat ruling party candidates.
The main issues to discuss concerning the agreement will include how to field united candidates in some of the key districts and conduct a joint campaign on the main election pledges, the officials said.
Both parties opposed to the free trade agreement with the United States and vowed to curb power of the nation’s family-run conglomerates to expand welfare benefits for ordinary people.
The alliance move for the April vote has been closely watched as the election results could further affect liberals’ bid to win the presidential race in December.
It is the first time in two decades South Korea will elect a new parliament and a new president in the same year.
The DUP was born out of a merger between the main opposition party and a novice party in December, while the UPP was established through a merger of three minor progressive parties during the same month.
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