Saenuri showing no signs of change

Rep. Won Yoo-chul, the floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, holds a press conference at party headquarters in Seoul, Friday. / Yonhap

By Kim Hyo-jin

The ruling Saenuri Party and Cheong Wa Dae are taking flak Friday for showing no will to revamp themselves despite the devastating results of the April 13 general election.

Criticism was raised against the party after Rep. Won Yoo-chul, a key figure involved in infighting over nominations, was tapped as the interim leader to head the party until its convention in May.

Cheong Wa Dae aggravated the negative public sentiment by making no further comments other than expressing hope that the 20th National Assembly become a functioning legislative.

While the governing bloc remains bewildered about how to respond to the humiliating setback, the Saenuri Party made a quick move to lure back some lawmaker-elects who quit the party and won in the election as independent candidates.

In an apparent move to win back its ruling status, the Saenuri Party announced Thursday that it will allow them to rejoin the party.

Seven out of 11 independent lawmaker-elects are ex-Saenuri party members who bolted from the party due to discontent over what they called lopsided nominations that heavily favored loyalists of President Park Geun-hye.

Their comeback could give the 122-seat party a chance of becoming the largest party again, surpassing the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) with 123 seats.

“There’s no sign of genuine repentance. They are just shunning their responsibility for the stinging defeat,” said Yang Seung-ham, an emeritus professor of political science at Yonsei University.

“Those who led the party up to the election should’ve stepped down right away. The controversial figures remaining at the forefront of the party indicates they’re holding onto vested interests and even seeking control in the post-Park Geun-hye era.”

Yang dismissed the party’s changed stance on independent lawmaker-elects as a move to retain its power in the Assembly.

“The no. 1 party has the right to put forward a National Assembly Speaker which will benefit the party in leading the legislative discussion. Their focus on the matter only shows they are not ready to reflect on themselves,” he said.

Won said in a press conference Friday that the party will form an emergency planning committee next week to re-structure itself in the aftermath of the election.

Regarding the criticism of his taking the leadership post, Won said, “It was inevitable that I, being well aware of the mechanism of party affairs, take the job as we are set to form the new leadership in only two to three months.”

He reiterated the party’s positive stance on the independent lawmakers, adding it will be discussed in the envisioned committee.

Meanwhile, Reps. Yoo Seong-min, Yoon Sang-hyun and Ahn Sang-soo expressed their intention to rejoin the party, while the rest including Rep. Joo Ho-young took cautious stances.

Amid mounting criticism of the party’s humiliating results in the election, Lee Hahn-koo, a former nomination committee head, offered to step down from the chairmanship post of the party’s national committee.