By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Six pro-government presidential contenders Wednesday agreed to field a single candidate to beat the standard-bearer of the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) in the Dec. 19 presidential election.
In a meeting in Seoul, they also agreed to join an open primary race regardless of their party affiliation.
The attendees were former Gyeonggi Governor Sohn Hak-kyu; former Prime Ministers Lee Hae-chan and Han Myeong-sook; former Chairman Chung Dong-young of the pro-government Uri Party; former Minister of Justice Chun Jung-bae; and Rep. Kim Hyuk-kyu of the Uri Party.
Under the open primary system, non-party members will select a presidential candidate.
The six hopefuls also decided to create a new party comprising of lawmakers with liberal inclination to defeat the GNP in the presidential election. The conservative GNP is enjoying high popularity, according to polls.
The agreement will likely expedite a coalition of liberal groups that have sought to launch a new party in the run-up to the presidential race.
``We agreed to select a single candidate to help groups seeking democracy and peace win the presidential election,'' said a statement issued by the contenders following their meeting at the National Assembly. ``We also decided to join a new party for a grand coalition of liberal groups.''
Former Uri Chairman Kim Geun-tae who defected from the party on June 12 arranged the meeting.
Party sources said that the agreement could accelerate moves to create an alliance of the embattled Uri Party, Uri deserters and civic groups.
However, they will likely face hurdles to the coalition because the six aspirants have yet to agree on rules governing the primary race.
Besides, they have differed over who can join the coalition.
Presidential contenders who have kept their distance from President Roh Moo-hyun have argued that loyalists to Roh in the Uri Party should be excluded, while pro-Roh hopefuls have demanded that those loyalists be allowed to take part in the coalition.
The integrated party of the minor opposition Democratic Party and Uri deserters' group is also hindering the coalition because the party is trying to recruit Sohn Hak-kyu.
Sohn, 60, who deserted from the GNP in March, is considered the most promising presidential candidate to defeat the GNP candidate in surveys.