Former GNP Chairwoman
Park Geun-hye |
By Kim Jong-chan
Staff Reporter
A factional feud within the governing party showed signs of subsiding Wednesday, as members of the party's decision-making Supreme Council agreed to positively consider allowing party defectors to rejoin the party.
The mainstream faction consisting of followers of President Lee Myung-bak had opposed the rejoining of lawmakers-elect who left the party after failing to win the party's ticket to run in the April 9 parliamentary elections.
The council members decided to admit the defectors, who are followers of former party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye, before the new National Assembly is inaugurated on June 1, said Cho Yoon-sun, spokeswoman of the party.
GNP Chairman Kang Jae-sup also softened his position and agreed to allow Park's followers to rejoin the party before his term ends in July, she said.
``There were few differences over their rejoining. After the new floor leader is elected and overseeing procedures to inaugurate the new legislature, the party will decide the timing and scope of people to be admitted who fit the party's identity and regulations," Cho told reporters.
But the council members differed over whether all of the defectors should be admitted at one time or not, party sources said.
Some of them said they should be admitted on a selective basis, according to sources.
At a meeting with President Lee at Cheong Wa Dae last week, Park called for unconditional reentry of all her supporters.
President Lee agreed to sincerely handle the matter to resolve the internal feud.
But the party's incumbent chairman had remained unchanged in his hardline position to veto the rejoining before his tenure ends on July 3.
The conservative party has 153 of the 299 seats in the new legislature, while the main opposition United Democratic Party holds 81.
jckim@koreatimes.co.kr
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