By Jun Ji-hye
An internal dispute has flared up within the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) over whether the party needs to change its name back to the Democratic Party (DP).
The controversy was sparked by comments made by Reps. Moon Jae-in and Park Jie-won, the leading candidates for the party chairmanship, who pledged to adopt the party’s previous name once a new chairman is elected at the national convention slated for Feb. 8.
On New Year’s Day, Moon told reporters that he wants to rename the party as the New Politics Democratic Party with Democratic Party as the abbreviated form, while Park prefers to only use the Democratic Party.
“The first thing I will do once elected will be to change the name of the party,” said Park.
A few hours later, Moon also said, “I will include changing the party’s name in my election pledges with consent from Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo.”
They both said that the current name is too long and cited the need to restore the shorter name which has been in circulation for some 50-years.
Their pledges immediately prompted reactions from Reps. Ahn and Kim Han-gil, both former co-chairmen of the largest opposition party.
The name NPAD was created in March last year to acknowledge the merger between supporters of Ahn, who was then an independent lawmaker, and the Democratic Party.
The words “new politics” symbolized the hopes and ambitions of Ahn who was one of three major candidates in the lead-up to the 2012 presidential election, along with the ruling Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye and Moon from the DP.
“The name NPAD reflected the people’s desire for a change from old politics,” said Ahn in a statement. “The party’s failure to take power is not because of its name.”
Rep. Min Byung-doo, a close confidant to Rep. Kim, joined the criticism. “Experimentation through the opposition coalition has not yet finished. I cannot understand why Moon and Park made such a pledge.”
Rep. Park Joo-sun, who is also running for chairmanship of NPAD, said, “Any attempt to change the party’s name is like urging Ahn to leave the party.”
The conflict is also becoming a factional fight because Ahn has directed offensive volleys at supporters of late President Roh Moo-hyun, typified by Moon who served as chief of staff under the Roh government.
“Beginning with the Uri Party, the opposition party has a history of frequently changing the party’s name. But nobody has taken responsibility for the discarded titles,” said Ahn. “I don’t think the public would trust the opposition if it changed its name back to a previously abandoned name.”
In Nov. 11 2003, breakaway lawmakers from the then Millennium Democratic Party, as well as some from the Saenuri Party’s predecessor, the Grand National Party, established the Uri Party to support then President Roh. But this again merged with the Democratic Party in February 2008 after suffering from falling popularity.
Meanwhile, the two main contenders at the national convention _ Moon and Park _ clashed Saturday during a joint meeting with party members on Jeju Island. Park said, “A person like me who has rich experience needs to be the new chairman.” Moon shot back: “If we leave the party as it is, there is no hope in next general elections and a presidential poll. I will stake my political career on making the party a winner.”
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