By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Rep. Chough Soon-hyung of the Centrist United Democratic Party (CUDP) hinted at his presidential bid Sunday at the party's headquarters in Seoul.
His challenge will likely affect the Dec. 19 presidential election due to his critical stance toward President Roh Moo-hyun and the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP), party sources said.
Chough, 72, will unveil his detailed campaign pledges next week, his aides said.
Party officials speculated that Chough will gain more than five percent of approval ratings once he officially opens his presidential bid because people who are against Roh and the GNP will support him.
Chough unsuccessfully ran for the general elections in 2004 after he led the impeachment of Roh but won the by-election on July 26, 2006.
Despite criticism of the impeachment, the six-term lawmaker has expressed his belief, saying, ``I will not hesitate to make a decision even though the same situation occurs.''
Chough is called ``Mr. Outspoken'' and ``Mr. Clean'' because he has been involved with few scandals unlike the GNP's leading presidential hopefuls, former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak and former GNP Chairwoman Park Geun-hye.
As he joins the CUDP's primary race, the party is able to pick its own presidential candidate without merging with the pro-government Uri Party, party sources said.
The party has discussed ways to create a new party with the Uri Party in the run-up to the presidential race but failed to narrow the gap.
Like the embattled Uri Party, the party has yet to provide strong presidential hopefuls even though Reps. Rhee In-je and Shin Kook-hwan, and former lawmaker Choo Mi-ae of the Democratic Party, predecessor of the CUDP, announced their presidential bid.
Chough started his political career in 1981 when he was elected to the National Assembly.