By Kim Sue-young Staff Reporter The United New Democratic Party (UNDP) has begun to accept registration of mobile phone voters for its primary, which will likely affect the selection of its standard-bearer. The new voting system is expected to encourage more members of the party's electoral college, especially young people, to vote because they can cast their ballots at there own convenience. Due to this expectation, the three presidential contenders are endeavoring to win more support. Former Gyeonggi Province Governor Sohn Hak-kyu organized a taskforce to work out measures to encourage more supporters to participate in the ubiquitous voting which the party has adopted first. He said he believes the unprecedented voting can be an alternative to a nationwide survey in the party's primaries. Sohn who has gained more support than his two rivals, Chung Dong-young and Lee Hae-chan, in most surveys insisted that the party should pick its presidential nominee based more on the survey. However, the party decided last Monday that the survey will account for only 10 percent of the total to pick the candidate, while a standard vote will constitute the remaining 90 percent. The party was launched on Aug. 5. Lee's presidential camp is also gearing up to obtain more votes in the phone voting, stressing that young people tend to support loyalists to President Roh Moo-hyun. Lee, a former prime minister, is a contender for Roh supporters after two other Roh loyalists, former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook and Rep. Rhyu Si-min, dropped out of the race to support Lee. Rhyu who has enthusiastic supporters on the Internet is leading a committee to work out election strategies to help Lee's victory. Former Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young, who topped two rounds of off-line voting so far, will encourage members of his supporters' groups to participate in the mobile phone voting, his aides said. The UNDP will take the registration until Oct. 10 but will not limit the number of people who participate in the vote. People, who are registered as a voter for off-line polling, cannot sign up as a member for the new voting. Registered voters can vote for their favorite contenders by pressing a candidate number when they receive a phone call from the party. Four rounds of the mobile phone voting will take place between Oct. 4 and 14 and the voting tally will be announced after each count. However, some UNDP lawmakers expressed worries over possible proxy voting, which could make losers raise suspicions on fairness. The party is considering sending an official document to the nation's mobile carriers to ask for special regulations on improper business practices such as offering services to unidentified people. The UNDP is suffering from a scandal after it was found that a third party had registered the President as a member of its electoral college for the primaries without his knowledge. ksy@koreatimes.co.kr