PPP set to shortlist 4 contenders for presidential election
The posters of potential presidential candidates of the People Power Party are attached on the wall of the National Assembly in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
The People Power Party (PPP) was set to shortlist four contenders on Tuesday for the June presidential election, as part of the first round of its primary process based on public polling.
The results will be determined using surveys conducted by five polling agencies from Monday to Tuesday, covering a combined total of 4,000 respondents. The party's election commission will announce the top four contenders around 7 p.m.
In the second round, two candidates will be selected through a process that equally combines party member votes and public opinion polling. The party will confirm its candidate on May 3.
According to a Realmeter poll released early this week, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), kept a strong lead with 50.2 percent support.
Trailing Lee was former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, who joined the PPP, with 12.2 percent. Former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon received 8.5 percent and former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo garnered 7.5 percent, followed by PPP Rep. Na Kyung-won at 2 percent, according to the poll.
The election will be held on June 3 after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted on April 4 over his failed martial law bid.
While the conservative contenders have intensified political attacks against the former DPK leader Lee, the PPP seemed to be perplexed by Lee's strong lead in opinion polls.
Last week, a plan to create a new political party in support of Yoon was put on hold.
Rep. Lee Yang-soo of the PPP told SBS radio that such a plan would have a negative impact on the party in the face of the presidential election.