Park Geun-hye, center, former chairwoman of the governing Grand National Party (GNP), smiles as party members congratulate her victory in a Daegu district at her campaign headquarters, Wednesday. / Yonhap |
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
Rep. Park Geun-hye of the Grand National Party (GNP) has proved her strong political influence again as ``pro-Park'' figures including GNP splinters and independents supporting her succeeded in forming a parliamentary negotiation bloc by winning about 30 seats in Wednesday's elections.
Political groups must hold 20 seats or more to create a negotiation group.
``Pro-Park Geun-hye Alliance,'' led by Suh Chung-won, won seven electoral districts while independent runners gained 25 seats in the 299-member Assembly.
Of the independents, about 20 are referred to as pro-Park candidates who bolted from the GNP last month amid bitter factional fighting with ``pro-Lee Myung-bak'' politicians.
Most of those dropped argued the candidate selection was a political tactic to remove supporters of Park, the eldest daughter of the late President Park Chung-hee.
Park strongly denounced the process, boycotting campaign speeches for GNP candidates. She said to the deserters, ``Come back after surviving.''
Kim Moo-sung, who won in a Busan district with support of more than 60 percent, said after the exit polls that he and other successful pro-Park candidates would return to the GNP.
``My victory is the people's judgment on the GNP selection procedure, which went against the people's wishes,'' Kim, one of the closest confidants of Park, said. ``Now things that resulted from the wrong process should be restored.''
It is unclear, however, if the GNP will accept the deserters because the party is expected to secure the majority of parliamentary seats up for grabs without them.
GNP Chairman Kang Jae-sup earlier made it clear that the party will not accept the deserters even if they are elected, while former GNP Chairwoman Park insists the party should allow the ``victims'' of the selection to ``come back home.''
Park herself won election support of some 90 percent of her district in Daegu.
gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr
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