By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Feuds between two former chairmen of the pro-government Uri Party and President Roh Moo-hyun are becoming fiercer, igniting speculation that a party breakup might be imminent.
``Roh attacked me saying I am engaged in obsolete politics but this kind of remark is his political style of placing a mark on the people he condemns,'' former Uri Chairman Kim Geun-tae said. ``He holds the view that the insistence to create a new party is based on regionalism but I think he is the one who has clung to regionalism.''
Another former Uri Chairman Chung Dong-young also criticized the President, calling him a ``variant reign of terror.''
``Political groups can have discussions to unify people and carry results into practice,'' he said in a letter posted on his personal Web site. ``If he calls these efforts `obsolete politics' and destroyers of his values, I believe it is his arrogance and self-righteousness.''
The Uri Party, once the largest political bloc, has had long disputes over creating a new party and recently underwent a barefaced war of words between Roh-loyalists and other faction members trying to keep distance from Roh.
Last Thursday, Kim and Chung, both co-founders of the Uri Party, indicated they would leave the party, criticizing the party's lack of progress to create a new party in the run-up to the Dec. 19 presidential election.
They also insisted the party should be disbanded in the future.
On Monday, Roh criticized remarks by the two former Uri leaders as obsolete and urged them to leave the party.
``What is the party that they call an integrated party? I, politician Roh Moo-hyun, am mired in despair,'' the President said on the Cheong Wa Dae Web site. ``They are showing obsolete politics and it is reasonable for them to stop political activities.''
Lee Byung-wan, former presidential chief of staff, likened Kim and Chung to a viper, saying, ``They are trying to deny what they have done due to the unfavorable circumstances.''
On the same day, Chung released a press release and refuted what Roh said.
``It is not timely appropriate to insist on defending the party,'' he said. ``The party agreed to create a new party during an internal convention on Feb. 14 but Roh and his followers are trying to break the promise.''
Chung's aides argued that Roh could go back to the party to support the party's presidential hopefuls but the presidential office denied the speculation later.
The Uri Party has suffering from rock-bottom popularity due to failure in curbing soaring housing prices and boosting the economy.
As the party showed little progress in new party formation, more than 30 Uri lawmakers have bolted from the party so far.
On Feb. 22, Roh gave up party membership, saying his defection would be helpful to resolve feuding within the party.