Parties all out to keep Ahn at bay

By Jun Ji-hye

Parties are striving to hold Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo in check amid concerns that he may steal the show in the June 4 local polls.

All-out criticism from the ruling Saenuri Party came after Ahn tentatively announced the “New Politics Party,” as the name of his organization which is expected to be launched in March. Ahn’s preparatory committee said an official meeting of initiators to create the new party will be held on Feb. 17.

Rep. Choi Kyung-hwan, floor leader of the governing camp, downplayed Ahn’s fledgling party by making sarcastic comments: “Ahn should change the name to the ‘old politics party.’”

Choi claimed that many questions have arisen over whether Ahn is qualified to talk about new politics.

“Moves Ahn recently made do not seem to accord with his emphasis on a new politics. He is just trying to make it appear better than it really is,” said Choi.

The floor leader refuted Ahn’s recent call for the abolition of the practice of parties selecting candidates to run for municipal mayor and gubernatorial posts in the local elections.

Ahn earlier criticized the ruling party and President Park Geun-hye for retreating on their campaign promise to scrap the party nomination system.

“If the nomination system disappears, new figures and women with new ideas will experience difficulties breaking through,” said Choi. “I want to ask if Ahn’s new politics is to keep political rookies from entering the political scene.”

He said that Ahn is making arguments only to boost public popularity without explaining his vision of a new politics.

No alliance with DP

For its part, the Democratic Party (DP) pressured the first-term lawmaker to combine forces with the main opposition party in hope of defeating the ruling party in local elections.

Rep. Moon Jae-in, former DP presidential candidate, with reference to the Seoul mayoral election, said, “It is the duty of both the DP and Ahn to jointly help Mayor Park Won-soon’s reelection bid.”

Park joined the DP in 2012 after he was elected Seoul Mayor in the 2011 by-election in which he received concessions and help from Ahn.

“I do not expect Ahn to split the opposition vote by fielding his own candidates, which will only help the ruling party candidates,” Moon told reporters, calling on Ahn to join forces with the DP to achieve a “great goal.”

The DP is also closely looking into moves by Ahn’s team to recruit sitting lawmakers.

While Ahn is constantly working on recruiting independent lawmaker Park Joo-sun, the largest opposition party is also in touch with him.

Chung Kyun-hwan, the DP’s supreme council member, attended a luncheon last Thursday with Rep. Park to persuade him.

“I have been contacted by several high-ranking members of the DP. I will soon meet DP chairman Kim Han-gil too,” said Park, signaling he will make a final decision after Lunar New Year holiday.

The DP made the move because it will suffer greatly if it loses Park to Ahn, given that Park’s constituency is Gwangju, the traditional home turf for liberal parties.

In the mean time, commenting on DP’s pressure for solidarity of opposition parties, Lawyer Geum Tae-sub, spokesman for Ahn’s team, said that Ahn’s camp has no plans to consider joining forces with the main opposition party as opposed to Moon’s proposal.

Geum drew a line, saying “We need to stand firm on our own standards in our first moves as a political party.”