Opposition leadership race kicks off
By Kim Hyo-jin
The upcoming election to select a new leader of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) on Feb. 8, has become a virtually two-way race.
Rep. Moon Jae-in, the former presidential candidate, declared his bid in the National Assembly, Monday, to run in the contest. His official declaration came one day after Rep. Park Jie-won, a close aide to the late former President Kim Dae-jung announced his bid for the post.
“I’m staking my political career on reforming the party. I would not run for the reelection in the next general election if I were selected,” said Moon.
“If a pro-Roh group bloc existed as a political faction, I am the only one who can disband it, and who can end the pro-and anti-Roh conflict,” he added.
Rep. Park made similar remarks. “The party is at a crossroads where it can either become a certain faction’s party or everyone’s party,” he said. “I would be a strong leader who can break the monopoly of one faction, and fairly play a leadership role.”
Rep. Moon, the former chief of staff under the Roh Moo-hyun administration has come under criticism for deepening friction within the NPAD as he represents the pro-Roh faction, which is not widely supported within the party.
Rep. Park, who also served as chief of staff under the Kim Dae-jung government, represents supporters of the Kim government within the party.
There have been demands that these two potential candidates stay away from the leadership election from other opposition lawmakers over concerns regarding friction they would bring to the party.
Now that Rep. Chung Se-kyun, popular among moderates within the NPAD has declared he will not join the race, it is the two-way race between Moon and Park.
Moon has a clear lead in public polls at 24.7 percent, according to Hangil Research in a survey of 1,000 adults from Dec. 12 to 13. Rep. Park, on the other hand, only had 7.1 percent. However, among representative lawmakers of the NPAD, they are reportedly in a neck-and-neck competition.