Ahn's comeback efforts draw lukewarm response
Rep. Ahn Cheon-soo, center, of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, holds a press conference at a restaurant in Hwasun, South Jeolla Province, Sunday. Two lawmakers from the party, Moon Byeong-ho, left, and Joo Seung-yong, accompanied him. / Yonhap
By Kang Seung-woo
Ahn Cheol-soo, once regarded as a leading light in reforming the nation’s old-school politics, has cranked up efforts to recover the limelight.
The CEO-turned-politician recently came out of his dormant mode, exposing himself to the public eye via a series of media interviews, charity activities and meeting his old political friends and foes.
In the wake of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD)’s crushing defeat in the July 30 by-elections, then co-Chairman Ahn stepped down from his post and stayed away from political circles since.
However, Ahn is not expected to enjoy the premier status he had three years ago when the first-term lawmaker began his political career with great fanfare, political pundits say.
“Although Ahn is still mentioned as one of the potentially strong candidates to be the next president, his political base itself is at stake within the NPAD,“ said Prof. Chung Goon-gi of Hongik University.
Currently, the main opposition party is planning to carry out its national convention to choose a new leader, with Moon Jae-in and Park Jie-won competing for the chairmanship of the party.
“Whoever wins will corner Ahn. Should Moon take control of NPAD, Ahn will have trouble in gaining ground in the party. A Park win means a return to the defunct Democratic Party,” said Chung.
Ahn quit the presidential race in 2012 and endorsed rival opposition leader Moon, who fell to Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye. The rapport between Ahn and Moon has not been on good terms since then.
Park has vowed to rename the NPAD back to the Democratic Party should he win. The NPAD was created after a merger between supporters of Ahn and the Democratic Party.
Hong Hyeong-sik, director of Hangil Research, said that his hopes of becoming president do not appear realistic.
“Ahn does not have a traditional support group, meaning that if he fails to meet its demands, his followers will easily change their backing,” said Hong.
“Since making his political debut, he failed to live up to their expectations and it is currently tough to bring back their support again.”
He added that given the fact Moon is expected to take the reins, Ahn may lose his grip on the party further. Despite their rivalry, “Moon will try to embrace Ahn should he win in the election because Moon needs support from Ahn to defeat Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon,” Hong said. The Seoul mayor is seen as the favorite candidate within the opposition side.
Bae Jong-chan, the chief director at Research and Research, said that next year’s general elections could be the final opportunity for Ahn to make himself a legitimate contender.
“Ahead of the general elections in 2016, Ahn needs to establish a core support base from those in their 20’s and 30’s, while reaching out to non-mainstreamers of the NPAD, or those who do not belong to the pro-Roh Moo-hyun faction,“ said Bae.
He added that Ahn is required to appeal to the Pro-Roh faction, as well, to beef up his presence within the party.
“With such efforts done before the general elections, Ahn needs to show he is capable of being elected. Otherwise, he will quickly fade into obscurity,” Bae said.