By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
The Grand National Party (GNP) is in danger of imploding as factional feuding escalates over ways of selecting candidates for the general elections on April 9.
The internal power struggle is a source of embarrassment for President-elect Lee Myung-bak, who is to be sworn in on Feb.25.
The simmering internal feuding was brought to the surface this week as GNP Chairman Kang Jae-sup urged Secretary General Lee Bang-ho, who is loyal to the President-elect, to resign from the post.
Kang said his resignation is necessary as he should shoulder responsibility for the internal clash. But the secretary general refused to accept the call and said he will remain a member of the party committee to screen aspiring lawmakers who will run in the forthcoming election.
At the root of the internal feuding is a make-or-break proxy war between President-elect Lee and Rep. Park Geun-hye, who lost the party nomination in a competition with Lee last year.
Each side wants to field more of their candidates.
Facing the tricky situation, President-elect Lee urged the two leaders to sit down and talk, although he has not given any specific guidelines to settle the discord.
The latest feud stems from the party's ethics code on the selection of candidates for the general elections. The strict enforcement of the ethics rules means that the selection committee will have to exclude some key aides to Rep. Park.
Kang wants the party to flexibly apply the rule, which bans the selection of lawmakers with past corruption convictions, meaning some loyalists to Park will be recommended as candidates for the elections.
In the face of fierce protest from Park's faction, the screening committee members are seeking a compromise plan. Before the decision, Park's confidants said they would take a collective action against the committee if the members were trying to disqualify Rep. Kim Moo-sung, a right hand man of the former party chairwoman, in the selection by ``abusing'' the rule.
The selection committee clarified, however, it will thoroughly examine if those candidates having violated the rule are still eligible for the party candidacy.
Against this backdrop, Kang said he could not work with Rep. Lee any more as the secretary general is not reliable.
``It is not the committee members' job to interpret the rule,'' he said. ``Instead, the party leaders should convene a GNP national convention to make a legitimate interpretation of the ethics code''
Kang's remarks garnered support from close aides to Rep. Park. Of course, President-elect Lee's aides were discontent as they construed Kang's words as a move to challenge the incoming President.
Meanwhile, close aides of incoming President Lee expressed discontent about the chairman's remarks. Some President-elect Lee loyalists said Rep. Kang should step down.
The majority of Lee Myung-bak loyalists are trying not to antagonize the Park camp.
The next President has yet to show a clear stance. In the worst possible case, the victorious party will be divided into two as the Park camp may defect the party en masse.