The leader of the minor opposition Unified Progressive Party gave up her nomination for next month's parliamentary elections Friday, buckling under pressure to step down following revelations her aides attempted to tamper with a crucial voter survey.
Rep. Lee Jung-hee was selected as a single opposition candidate in Seoul's Gwanak district after defeating her rival from the main opposition Democratic United Party in the telephone survey. She was under public pressure to drop the nomination, however, after two of her aides were found to have attempted to rig the survey.
The telephone survey was held as part of an alliance agreement between the two opposition parties to field unified candidates in key districts in the April 11 polls in order to avoid splitting opposition votes against candidates from the ruling Saenuri Party.
"The path to unity and partnership was thrown into confusion because of me. It is natural for me to take responsibility even if it means destroying myself," Lee said during a press conference, adding she hopes her resignation will lay to rest all disputes over unified candidates.
"Please support unified opposition candidates across the nation. Without a change in government, we can expect no democracy, no economic justice and no peace," she said. "I will devote myself to the victory of the opposition alliance and to a change of government from the lowest and most difficult position."
Lee, a lawyer-turned-lawmaker who built an image as a "clean" politician, had immediately apologized over the revelations but previously refused to give up the nomination, claiming she had no knowledge of the tampering while placing all blame on her aides.
She previously demanded that a new survey be held to determine a candidate.
Her refusal to give up the nomination sparked strong protests not only from her rival in the Gwanak district, but also from candidates from other districts where the two parties agreed to field single candidates, raising speculation that the alliance could ultimately fall apart.
The two campaign aides were found to have sent mobile phone text messages asking party members to lie about their ages if they received automated survey calls made randomly on Saturday and Sunday to ask voters in the constituency which hopeful they favor.
The survey was designed to select the winner by putting together responses from different age groups of voters, and Lee's aides attempted to boost her ratings among younger age groups, apparently on tips that enough responses from higher-aged groups had already been collected. (Yonhap)