Will Park's alliance bet work?

By Lee Tae-hoon

Political watchers say the ruling Saenuri Party’s decision to join with the minor conservative Advancement and Unification Party (AUP), Thursday, will be a double edged sword for its presidential candidate Park Geun-hye.

Some say Park would experience dwindling support from moderate as well as conservative voters who harbor ill-feelings toward the AUP, which only managed to gain four parliamentary seats in the National Assembly elections last April.

“The move has allowed the Saenuri Party, which controls 149 seats in the 300-member legislature, to continue to enjoy majority status,” Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, said Friday.

“However, this will only arouse antagonism against the political tycoon.”

Kim Hyung-joon, another politics professor at Myungji University noted that Park’s attempt to catch “two birds with one stone” will backfire on those who have favored her centrist policies.

“It was not a smart move,” said the politics professor.

He noted that this will only raise questions about the integrity of the Saenuri Party and its policy directions.

Lee Cheol-hee, head of a political strategy think tank, agrees, saying the merger with the AUP will not bring any positive outcome in the minority rightwing party’s home turf of Chungcheong.

“She has rather more to lose than to gain as young voters in the capital region will recognize the coalition with the AUP as collusion with old politics to win the upcoming presidential election.”

They pointed out that AUP Chairman Rhee In-je’s “shameful” record of changing parties 13 times, and his ultra conservative party’s fragile support base will undermine Park’s clean, outright image.

Some Saenuri Party insiders fear that this latest move will give the impression that Park, the eldest daughter of the late President Park Chung-hee, is eager to invite any political figures to attract more voters regardless of her party’s platform.

The Saenuri Party suffered an internal feud when Park announced that she would appoint Han Gwang-ok, former top presidential secretary for the late President Kim Dae-jung, as the head of the party’s social unity committee.

Others, however, say that the merger will help Park solidify her support base in Chungcheong.

“The Saenuri Party is expected to enjoy an increase in support ratings in the Chungcheong region by at least 10 to 15 percent,” Rep, Hong Moon-pyo said.

Rhee also downplayed the possibility of negative fallout, saying the Saenuri Party and his minority party share the same political values.

“It is very natural for parties who have the same values and policy lines to unite ahead of the presidential election,” he said.

Meanwhile, some 10,000 members of the AUP filed for an injunction over the Saenuri-AUP merger, saying the decision was made without properly consulting party members.

A considerable number of them are also expected to withdraw their membership with Lee Si-woo, mayor of Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, already declaring his departure from the party.