11 Bigwigs Dropped From UDP Ticket
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
The main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) has strengthened criteria in choosing candidates to run in the April 9 National Assembly elections, which will likely leave 11 bigwigs off the party's ticket.
The party, suffering from low popularity, aims at regaining public support by setting rigid rules and revamping its organization. The party's original rules vaguely stipulate that figures being criticized by the public should be disqualified.
Figures to be eliminated under the strengthened rules include former presidential chief of staff Park Ji-won; Kim Hong-up, former President Kim Dae-jung's second son; former lawmaker Kim Min-seok; and Lee Yong-hee, a four-term lawmaker.
Park was convicted of taking 100 million won in bribes from two local conglomerates, while Kim Hong-up was found guilty of receiving about 2.5 billion won from several companies in July 2002.
Kim Min-seok was sentenced to a suspended jail term for receiving 200 million won in illegal political funds from SK Group in June 2005 when he campaigned in the election to pick Seoul mayor. Lee Yong-hee received a suspended jail term for taking bribes.
The party's decision came after Park Jae-seung, chairman of the UDP's screening committee, said Monday that people who have been sentenced to jail terms on any charge should ``without exception'' not be given the chance to run in elections on the party's ticket.
Criteria to screen candidates has been considered a thorny issue because many senior party members and dignitaries are involved in bribery scandals.
The UDP reluctantly tried to strengthen screening standards because the governing Grand National Party (GNP) decided to eliminate those who have been fined, especially for taking bribes, from the candidates' list.
However, the screening panel head, a former president of the Korea Bar Association, opted for all-out attack on the sensitive issue.
When he took the position, many people raised concerns due to his lack of political experience.
The chairman, 59, served as a judge between 1973 and 1981 and has since worked as a lawyer. He chaired the bar association between 2003 and 2005.
He argued the issue with party Co-chairmen Sohn Hak-kyu and Park Sang-cheon.
Earlier, he called on UDP leaders not to intervene in screening to ensure fairness and not to give any chance of re-election to 30 percent of incumbent lawmakers whose electoral districts are in the Jeolla provinces, a UDP stronghold.
He also threatened that he would resign unless party leaders guarantee the autonomy of the committee during a meeting with Sohn.
Some party members complained of his rigidity, saying he should consider the reality of politics here with flexibility.
Screening panel members and the party co-chairmen failed to narrow their differences over the stricter rules on nominations during a marathon meeting Tuesday night. The meeting lasted for 14 hours.
As some lawmakers strongly oppose the criteria, rumors have it that they may leave the party to run as independents in the Assembly elections.