By Chung Hee-hyung
Kang Ki-gab of the Unified Progressive Party (UPP) blasted a defiant faction within the party Friday for resorting to violence during the leftist party’s central committee meeting on May 13, stating that the party will never again tolerate such behavior.
“We can no longer remain silent. Time is running out, and those responsible for this deplorable incident should sincerely apologize in front of party members,” demanded Kang at the reformists’ emergency council meeting.
In a stern tone, the interim leader of the UPP criticized the fringe faction’s behavior as “defying common sense.”
He vowed to swiftly punish anyone found responsible for the violent incident, putting heavy pressure on the non-mainstream faction to back down.
The meeting centered on 14 proportional representation candidates elected in a primary. The party’s internal investigation revealed that several fringe candidates were selected after ballot procedures were rigged.
When a meeting convened on May 13 and tried to form an emergency committee to look into the matter, the faction resorted to violence and physically assaulted reformist members of the party.
Since then intense pressure has been put on the candidates to “voluntarily” resign. Ten of them have already stepped down or expressed their intention to do so, but the remaining four, particularly the two lawmakers who were elected in April’s parliamentary election staunchly refuse to go.
The former lawmaker admitted the difficulty of taking disciplinary measures against fellow party members, saying that it was akin to “amputating one’s right hand.”
He also stressed, however, that such measures were necessary to cure the party of its deficiencies.
“We are currently undergoing corrective action never before seen in the progressive party’s 15-year history.”
The minor opposition leader, however, also made it clear that it would not let the ruling Saenuri Party seize upon the UPP’s internal strife and use it as a political bludgeon.
The ruling party has made constant demands since early May that two UPP lawmakers immediately resign or else be formally expelled from the National Assembly. It said they were sympathetic to North Korea, questioning their ideological stance.
“The Saenuri Party is still singing off the same Red Syndrome tune as it always has for the last 30 years,” he shot back, implying that the conservative party was still playing over the two lawmakers’ alleged pro-North affiliation.
He said that the ruling party should “mind its own business” instead.
Kang has been critical of the ruling party, as well as his own party members, who were much more conciliatory to the Democratic United Party (DUP).
The DUP formed an alliance with the UPP before the April parliamentary election.
The UPP’s dramatic intra-party strife has seen its approval rate plummet, and a wide circle within the main opposition party fear that its minor partner’s plight might well bring down the DUP as well.
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