By Kim Jong-chan
Political Editor
The governing Grand National Party (GNP) is expected to undergo a leadership change as Chairman Park Hee-tae said he will run in the Oct. 28 by-elections on the party's ticket.
Park, who was elected chairman in a national convention in July last year, said he would step down from the party's top post around Sept. 10, if he wins its nomination to run in the party's home turf of Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province.
A former five-term lawmaker, Park has been under pressure to resign, to ensure fairness in the selection of candidates for the elections. Voting is also scheduled to be held in two other districts ― Ansan, Gyeonggi Province and Gangneung, Gangwon Province.
Both the GNP and the main opposition Democratic Party are going to mobilize all possible human resources to win the elections, considered as an evaluation of the one-and-a-half years of President Lee Myung-bak's administration.
If the ruling party loses the elections, President Lee may become an early lame duck.
Once Park, 71, resigns, Rep. Chung Mong-joon, 58, runner-up in the last national convention and currently a member of the party's decision-making Supreme Council, is set to become acting chairman in accordance with party regulations.
Park's resignation will make the GNP leadership younger than it is at present. But internal factional feuds may intensify.
Followers of former party Chairwoman Rep. Park Geun-hye, 57, were reluctant to accept Chung taking the helm of the party, insisting for incumbent Chairman Park to continue his job until July next year when his two-year term expires.
This is because an early change of command would give Chung, a viable candidate for the next presidential election, a chance to broaden his base in the party.
Chung is a six-term legislator but his base within the GNP is relatively weak, as he joined the party shortly before the presidential race in December 2007.
During the 2007 presidential race, he stunned many with the withdrawal of his candidacy. He declared his support for then-ruling party candidate Roh Moo-hyun before the start of campaigns, but withdrew it on the eve of the voting over a reported failure to reach an agreement on power sharing.
Once Chung becomes acting chairman, former three-term lawmaker Lee Jae-oh, 64, a leader of the ruling party who is close with President Lee, is expected to be elected as a Supreme Council member, to the post vacated by Chung.
In a change of attitude, lawmakers affiliated with former party Chairwoman Park dropped their objections to his comeback, triggering speculation that a big deal has been struck between the two factions.
Party sources say he will return to the party hierarchy in exchange for the entry of two or three legislators who belong to the former party chairwoman's camp into the Cabinet.
President Lee, who has entered his second year in office, is expected to replace some Cabinet ministers with GNP legislators in their 40s and 50s soon, according to party sources.
Once Chung, a supporter of President Lee, is given a greater say in the party, it will pose a challenge to former party Chairwoman Park in her bid to win the GNP nomination again to run in the 2012 election.
Lee Jae-oh's return will also be an obstacle for the Park camp as he was said to have caused problems during the selection of party candidates to run in last year's National Assembly elections.