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Sun, September 24, 2023 | 16:19
-------------------------
Ahn reaches out to meet Park
安, 靑방문 대통령 면담 직접신청…"7일까지 답달라"
Posted : 2014-04-04 16:18
Updated : 2014-04-04 17:42
Jun Ji-hye
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Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, co-chairman of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, visits Cheong Wa Dae Friday, to pressure President Park Geun-hye to meet with him to discuss the scrapping of the party nomination system. / Yonhap
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, co-chairman of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, visits Cheong Wa Dae Friday, to pressure President Park Geun-hye to meet with him to discuss the scrapping of the party nomination system. / Yonhap

Resistance growing in NPAD over scrapping party nominations


By Jun Ji-hye

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, co-chairman of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), visited Cheong Wa Dae, Friday, to submit an application for a meeting with President Park Geun-hye to her secretary.

His surprise visit came five days after he proposed that Park meet with him to discuss the scrapping of the practices of parties nominating candidates for local elections.

Park's senior secretary for political affairs Park Joon-woo received the first-term lawmaker at the visiting room of the presidential office.

During his visit, Ahn filled out an application form for a meeting with the President, asking her to reply to his inquiry by Monday. It is unprecedented that an opposition leader has visited the presidential house to fill out an application form meant for ordinary citizens.

"I have expressed my willingness a number of times to speak to President Park in person about various state affairs, but have not heard anything from her," Ahn told the senior secretary. "As a South Korean citizen, I came here (Cheong Wa Dae) to deliver my wish to her."

In response, the secretary said: "I am not sure about whether the office can reply by Monday, but it will answer anyway."

On Sunday, Ahn called for the meeting, saying he wants to get an explanation about why the governing side broke its campaign pledges to scrap party nominations.

In the run-up to the 2012 presidential election, Park, then the ruling Saenuri Party candidate, and Rep. Moon Jae-in, the now-defunct Democratic Party (DP) candidate, all promised to abolish the practice of parties nominating candidates for lower-level municipal provincial council elections.

The ruling party has decided to maintain the system ahead of the June 4 local polls, saying the abolition could cause unexpected side effects such as a flood of unqualified candidates.

Resistance from within

Ahn and NPAD co-chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil are adhering to the position not to nominate their party's candidates for the local elections.

However, Ahn is facing a growing resistance from members from his own party as well.

If NPAD would not nominate candidates to keep its promise to the public, the election results are expected to be devastating for the party.

Many members of the NPAD are calling for the withdrawal of the decision to forego nominations of candidate for the elections.

Ahn apparently believes putting the end to the practice is linked to his drive for new politics, which has been blamed for being too vague.

However, he needs to tide over the opposition from within his own party.

Rep. Shin Kyoung-min said Thursday, "Co-chairmen would rather dissolve the party than scrapping the nomination system," he said. "Abolishing nomination would result in identity confusion among candidates."

If the NPAD does not nominate candidates in the June elections, its members should run as independent candidates. However, the Public Official Election Law stipulates that those who belong to a political party cannot stand for elections as independent candidates.

Shin's remarks were referring to the situation where hopefuls of the NPAD have no choice, but to quit their party membership in order to run for the elections as independent candidates.

Rep. Jung Cheong-rae claimed on his Twitter account: "The best choice for Ahn at this stage is to accept his fate and save about 3,000 party members by overturning his promise."


安, 靑방문 대통령 면담 직접신청…"7일까지 답달라"

'대단히 비정상적인 선거될 것…회동형식·장소 구애안받아'
靑 '시기 부적절…여야 합의되면 따른다는 게 대통령 입장'


    새정치민주연합 안철수 공동대표는 4일 오전 청와대 면회실을 방문, 박근혜 대통령과의 면담을 직접 신청했다.

    안 대표는 이날 오전 11시30분께 청와대 면회실 2층에서 면담신청서를 직접 작성, 박 대통령과의 회동을 요청하고 청와대 박준우 정무수석과 53분간 대화하면서 오는 7일까지 이에 대해 답변해 줄 것을 요구했다.

    제1 야당의 대표가 청와대를 방문해 대통령과의 면담을 요구한 것은 아주 이례적이고 종전의 관행·의전과는 다른 파격적인 일이다.

    안 대표는 박 수석에게 '그동안 기자회견과 국회 대표연설, 국무총리나 청와대 정무수석 면담, 그밖에 여러 회의 때 국정현안을 논의하기 위해 대통령과 만나서 대화하고자 하는 뜻을 밝혔는데 아무 반응이 없어 국민의 한 사람 자격으로 대통령과 만나 이야기하고 싶다는 뜻을 전하기 위해 왔다'고 밝혔다고 새정치연합 박광온 대변인이 전했다.

    또 기초선거 정당공천 폐지문제에 대해 언급, '서로 다른 규칙을 갖고 선거를 치르게 되면 대단히 정상적이지 않은 선거될 것이며 누구에게도 좋지 않은 일'이라면서 '박 대통령께서 이 문제를 먼저 말씀하셨으니까 말씀하신 분이 푸는 것이 옳다고 본다'며 무공천 논의를 위한 회동 수용을 촉구했다.

    특히 회동 장소 및 형식과 관련, '3자가 되든, 4자가 되든 그런 문제는 중요한 문제가 아니다. 장소나 형식을 구애받지 않고 만났으면 좋겠다'면서 '다음 주 월요일(7일)까지 (회동) 가부만이라도 말씀을 주시기 바란다'고 요구했다.

    이에 대해 박 수석은 '각 당이 지방선거체제로 전환하고 있는 마당에 정치적인 문제를 이야기하는 게 시기적으로 적절치 않으며 선거가 끝난 다음에 민생문제 등을 여야를 막론해 검토할 수 있을 것이라는 게 그동안 박 대통령이 밝혀온 입장'이라고 답변했다.

    이어 '대통령께서는 (기초공천 폐지는) 공직선거법을 고쳐야 하는 문제이기 때문에 여야가 합의를 이루면 거기에 따르겠다는 뜻을 갖고 있고 대통령이 결단할 사안은 아니며 여당과 당대당 차원에서 논의하는 게 순서라는 입장'이라고 밝혔다.

    그러면서 '오늘 하신 말씀을 (대통령께) 보고 드리겠다'면서 '7일까지 알려드릴 수 있을지 모르기만 어쨌든 답을 드리겠다'고 말했다고 박 대변인은 전했다.

    정치권에서는 안 대표의 이날 청와대 방문에 대해 무공천 및 박 대통령과의 회동 성사를 위해 노력하는 모습과 함께 청와대의 '불통정치'를 부각하기 위한 포석이라는 해석이 제기되고 있다.

    안 대표는 박 수석과 대화를 마친 뒤 기자들과 만나 '저희를 지지하는 국민께 답을 해주시는 게 맞다고 생각한다'면서 '만약에 면담이 힘들다면 왜 힘드신지, 그리고 언제, 어떤 형식으로 어떤 장소에서 가능하다고 말씀해주시면 그에 따라 만나뵙고자 한다'고 밝혔다.

    안 대표는 '김한길 대표나 최고위원들의 요구로 청와대를 방문한 것이냐'는 질문에 '계속 고민하다가 왔다. 국민의 한 사람으로서 누구나 면담 신청을 할 수 있는 것 아니냐'고 답했다.
Emailjjh@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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