Who benefits most from new party?

Rep. Kim Han-gil, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, sits with his eyes welling as he gets emotional at a party meeting held to discuss details on the formation of a new coalition party with Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

Mayor Park one of biggest beneficiaries

By Jun Ji-hye

Who will gain most from the opposition bloc’s surprise decision to form a new coalition party?

Political pundits say it couldn’t be better for Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon.

Mayor Park, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), could have faced problems in a possible three-way race in the June 4 local elections along with hopefuls from the governing Saenuri Party and independent lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo’s New Political Vision Party, which he had planned to officially launch this month.

So, Park welcomed the decision of DP Chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil and Ahn to create the alliance.

“The decision is a response to the public’s aspirations for new politics and national unity,” said Park.

Bae Jong-chan, chief director at Research and Research, an opinion survey company, said if Park runs as a single candidate for the coalition, there is a greater possibility that the entire body of liberal voters will back him.

“Such voters tend to regard Park and Ahn as acting with one heart and mind,” said Bae.

Other candidates from the coalition seeking to be mayors of Incheon, Busan and the governor of Gyeonggi Province in the elections will be beneficiaries because they will stage one-on-one competitions against candidates from the ruling party.

Bae pointed out another possible beneficiary ― Gyeonggi educational superintendent Kim Sang-gon, who plans to announce his candidacy today for Gyeonggi governor representing the coalition, after accepting a request to stand from Ahn.

However, it remains to be seen whether Kim will actually be a coalition candidate because DP lawmakers Kim Jin-pyo and Won Hye-young, who are also hoping to run, are calling for primaries to be held.

For the Busan mayoral poll, experts say opposition and independent voters are expected to rally behind former Maritime Minister Oh Geo-don whom Ahn has been persuading to join his side. Oh has yet to announce an official bid.

“I hope both sides (the DP and Ahn camp) make big concessions to each other so that the opposition’s coalition can impress the people,” said Oh. “I am only thinking about Busan citizens and how to develop the city.”

In addition, it seems certain that standing mayors from the DP, including Incheon Mayor Song Yong-gil and South Chungcheong Province governor Ahn Hee-jung, will run for reelection as candidates for the opposition coalition.

Members from the ruling party and some analysts agree that the opposition camp will gain some advantages, but they will be small in scope.

Rep. Suh Byung-soo, who announced his bid for Busan mayor, said: “I expect Ahn’s influence in Busan will decrease following his decision to be absorbed into the DP. The Saenuri Party always takes the upper hand in a race against the DP in Busan.”

Political analyst Hwang Tae-soon supported this view. He said the ruling party probably had been scared of the worst case scenario of the opposition candidates combining forces just a few days before the elections.

“As the DP and Ahn have already announced their coalition, the ruling party now will be able to contain the possible negative impact of the integration of the opposition candidates,” said Hwang.