By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Former Vice Speaker Park Hee-tae of the National Assembly is a frontrunner of the ruling Grand National Party's (GNP) leadership race slated for Thursday, but his lead is not solid, according to a latest poll.
The Hankyoreh newspaper poll found it is too early to pronounce that the veteran politician would be the winner in the race mainly due to the unique voting system under which one delegate is given two votes in the selection.
Park's rating stood at 33.7 percent. Rep. Chung Mong-joon ranks second with 21.7 percent.
Stories went differently when the voting method of one-man-two-vote is applied to the competition. Under the scheme, the two candidates are in a dead heat race within a margin of error, indicating no one knows who will win in the contest.
Incumbent party Chairman Kang Jae-sup will end his two-year tenure, with party delegates to select a new chairman and members of the party's decision-making Supreme Council at a national convention on Thursday.
The outgoing chairman had his last weekly meeting with President Lee Myung-bak at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. In the meeting, Lee praised Kang for having done a great job for he had to handle several tough challenges. Kang declined to disclose the conversations he shared with the President.
In 2006, Kang, who was then backed by former GNP Chairwoman Park Geun-hye, achieved a surprising come-from-behind victory in the race beating his rival Lee Jae-oh.
Former lawmaker Lee was widely supported by incumbent President Lee in the race and had consistently led polls before the July competition. He was reportedly in deep shock after losing the 2006 race and took a while to concede defeat.
As chairman of the then main opposition GNP, Kang faced several challenges that tested his leadership.
Although he was strongly supported by Rep. Park Geun-hye during the 2006 race, Kang assured that he would manage the GNP presidential race in 2007, where Park and incumbent President Lee competed heavily but fairly.
During the nomination race, the two bigwigs, Lee and Rep. Park, traded intense accusations and counteraccusations regarding alleged suspicions, ethics, and wealth accumulation.
The heated campaign demanded Kang, whose primary duty was to manage the race fairly, use wisdom, particularly when Lee and Park showed no signs of making concessions on major campaign issues.
Kang was also not a stranger to accusations from Rep. Park's side. Close aides of Park alleged Kang was on Lee's side, which affected the campaigns. The accusation angered the GNP chairman who claimed he made every effort not to cause any unnecessary speculations on his stance in the crucial race.
Kang experienced tough times again in March of this year when a GNP committee eliminated many pro-Park Geun-hye lawmakers in the selection of candidates to run for the April 9 elections. The selection aroused Rep. Park's ire and she urged Kang to take responsibility for what she called a selection malfunction. The GNP chairman, who made the cut in the selection, denied the allegation and gave up his candidacy for the general election.