GNP Contenders Engaged in Aggressive Campaigning
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
With only 24 days to go before the party nomination, leading presidential contenders of the Grand National Party (GNP) are seeking more aggressive measures at campaigning against their rivals than before.
Fear factors _ the party affiliate component for Lee Myung-bak and a sense of deprivation for Park Geun-hye _ seem to play out behind their aggressive campaigning against their counterparts.
Regarding the GNP's decision to delay the Gwangju rally, Park's camp expressed a sense of deprivation caused by a perception that party leaders are in favor of her rival Lee.
Aides of the former party chairwoman said the party's decision is slanted for the former Seoul mayor and went on those who are behind the unfair decision should leave the party's decision-making body.
``It is very regrettable to know that the GNP leader made a wrong decision _ the delay of Gwangju rally,'' said Park, former GNP chairwoman.
Park urged party leaders to clarify whether the GNP is going to go ahead with holding other rallies as scheduled. She warned she would not sit back if the party leader makes additional changes in the timeline for the nomination campaign from that point onwards.
Former lawmaker Hong Sa-duck, a close aide of Park, criticized Lee's camp, arguing that former Seoul Mayor Lee is trying to put the party leadership under his control.
Lee's camp stood by the GNP's decision, saying that ``delaying the rally is a reasonable decision.''
In addition to support for party leaders, close aides of Lee leveled up against the former party chairwoman. They said Park has problems in her ethical approach and her position toward gender issues is in trouble.
``Park received a large amount of money from ex-president Chun Doo-hwan when she left Cheong Wa Dae. She also received a luxurious mansion from a businessman whom she held close ties to. She must be a shameless person if she has not felt any guilt for these,'' a close aide of Lee criticized.
The question is why close aides of Lee turned aggressive campaigning against Park.
``Although Lee has consistently led polls since last year, a growing number of staff members working for Lee expressed concern over the possible role of the party affiliate factor in the primaries,'' a camp staff told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity.
The party affiliate factor indicates that poll results conducted with the general public could be very different from those of the party affiliates.
They do clearly see the possibility of the worst-case scenario in the primaries, he continued.
The worst case scenario he mentioned is the possible recurrence of what happened in last year's primaries in July to select party leadership in the nomination race.
Before the race, polls said Lee Jae-oh who was backed by the former Seoul mayor were highly likely to win the race, but the primary result was opposite.
He lost the race and his rival incumbent leader Kang Jae-sup, who was supported by Park Geun-hye, won the race.
The event presented the GNP affiliate factor.