By Kim Ji-soo, Kim Se-jeong
The small revolt in the ruling Grand National Party that manifested with the election of neutral Rep. Hwang Woo-yea as floor leader may turn into a larger force.
Shocked by its defeat at the April 27 by-elections, GNP lawmakers elected Hwang, a four-term lawmaker belonging neither to the pro-President Lee Myung-bak and pro-Park Geun-hye factions. In the run-off, Hwang beat out An Kyung-ryul, who had been pushed by pro-Lee legislators.
The small revolt is expected to grow into full-fledged contest for party leadership as the GNP will soon hold a party convention in June or July.
Hwang’s election has already changed the numerical dynamics among factions in the party. He ran on the slogan that GNP lawmakers will be free from factional politics, as he called for a party revamp. His slogan won a response from some 40 younger, reform-minded legislators, about 50 the pro-Park Geun-hye legislators and eventually some of the 100 pro-Lee legislators. The GNP holds 172 seats in the National Assembly.
More pro-Lee legislators are expected to further defect, political insiders said, as the realization that the party must reform to win ahead of next year’s general election in April and the presidential election in December.
The biggest beneficiary of these recent developments is former party chairwoman Rep. Park Geun-hye.
Returning from her three-nation European visit as a presidential envoy, Park congratulated Hwang and said that “He should work to rise to what the people want.” In Athens, Greece, she said she would play a more aggressive role in the crucial elections next year.
“Now, the opportunity has come for Rep. Park, who has had to keep herself quiet. Things have changed. Now, it has come to a point where it’s now or never. For Park, her party’s loss at the general election could mean no presidency,” said Kim Hyung-joon, professor at Myongji University.
Park has kept a low-profile since losing at the 2007 party primary to President Lee Myung-bak, but signaled that she will pursue another presidential bid.
Her newly-strengthened position will inevitably prompt the President to work with her as a legitimate ally, if the ruling party wants to win at the 2012 presidential election. The presidential office sent a political affairs aide to the airport Sunday to greet the returning Park, saying that they will soon arrange a meeting with the President when he returns on May 15 from his visit to three European nations. During the run-off vote, pro-Lee lawmakers who are close to Rep. Lee Sang-deuk, the President’s older brother, did not lend support to the candidate pushed by pro-Lee lawmakers closest to Lee Jae-oh, special affairs minister.
Political aides close to Park said that she may assume a more central role for the party for next year’s general election. But she is not likely to become party leader.
Party leadership may well be assumed by a younger, reform-oriented figure.
Rep. Gu Sang-chan, who is joint secretary for a group of freshmen and second-term lawmakers in GNP, said that the party must set afoot a new leadership that will reflect the people’s will.
“We freshmen and second-term lawmakers will from now on stand at the forefront, rather than follow decisions,” Gu was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.
He said that his group is not to endorse a certain candidate. On the election of the neutral floor leader, Gu said that “It was a manifestation of disappointment about the Lee administration and its economic policy.”