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Former GNP Chairwoman
Park Geun-hye |
By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter
A feud has erupted again in the Grand National Party (GNP) between two groups led by President-elect Lee Myung-bak and former party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye, over candidate nominations for the upcoming general elections.
The discord is culminating as Rep. Kim Moo-sung, one of Park's closest confidants, hinted at leaving the GNP to express his discontent over the process.
According to party rules, those found guilty of corruption are banned from being nominated. If the rule is strictly applied, Kim will be disqualified.
Lee's aides Rep. Park Sung-vum and Kim Hyun-chul, the son of former President Kim Young-sam, will also fail to be nominated for the same reason.
Though the ban should include people from the two factions, the disqualification of Kim Moo-sung would deal a blow to Park because he is the right-hand man of the former chairwoman.
Followers of Park collectively expressed concerns that Lee's supporters are seeking to apply the rule for screening candidates for the April 9 elections strictly. Kang Jae-sup, chairman of the GNP, didn't attend the party's Supreme Council meeting in protest against the rule.
Kim said that the pro-Lee politicians were conducting retaliatory politics against him by pushing the strict nomination rule. ``Because the party deserts me, I have no choice but to leave the party,'' he said.
Park also joined the battle by saying that the nomination rules are ambiguous and they should be fair for everyone.
Rep. Kim Hak-won said, ``Previously, those who were fined were able to run for the election. It would violate the right to run and equality, guaranteed by the constitution, if the party disqualifies eligible candidates.''
However, GNP secretary-general Lee Bang-ho, a pro-Lee lawmaker, said the party will select the nominees based on party rules. ``We can't ignore the party rule,'' he added, confirming his intention to exclude Kim from the nomination.
Lee's supporters said the nomination was not a matter of negotiation but a matter of rules and there could be no compromise.
Meanwhile, Vice Speaker of the National Assembly Lee Sang-deuk, President-elect Lee's older brother, offered to mediate in the conflict.
``I respect the party rules but we need to minimize the negative effects coming from the nomination process,'' he said.
The Lee-Park conflict began during the party primaries for the presidential election last year. After Lee won the primaries and the election, the two sides have often been at odds.
yoonwonsup@koreatimes.co.kr
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