Party Chairman Choe Likely to Step Down


By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter


A group of Grand National Party (GNP) senior lawmakers on Thursday faced off with their juniors over control of the party leadership, as both sides by and large agreed that Choe Byung-yul should step down as party chairman.

In a turnaround from its stance of supporting Choe, senior party members, mainly from Kyongsang Province, demanded Choe move aside and set up a preparatory committee for the upcoming elections.

Their move came in response to calls by anti-Choe legislators for an early party convention and the appointment of new leadership, regardless of any decision made by Choe.

They, however, faced a deadlock. The reform-minded lawmakers belatedly discovered a party regulation that prevents them from holding an extraordinary convention if the chairman declines to step down.

Choe was not available for comment as he has left Seoul to search for some way to resolve this crisis, the biggest in his political career so far.

Twenty six lawmakers, including Reps. Lee Jae-oh, Park Jin and Yang Jung-kyu, met at the National Assembly to consider the procedures that will have to be followed to establish new party leadership.

The most feasible way they had found after considering the lack of time was reportedly to form an ad-hoc committee to temporarily lead the party until a convention in mid-March elects new leadership.

The dissident group, on the other hand, continued their offence against the current leadership by trying to persuade party officials to abandon their posts as this could paralyze GNP operations. Standing committee members Won Hee-ryong and Kim Moo-sung have already tendered their resignations.

``The party can survive if Mr. Choe steps down,’’ Won said. ``We should set up new leadership by holding a special convention and the leadership should return all the illegal campaign funds to state coffers as a way to save the party.’’

Meanwhile, the party’s 35 conservative legislators also held a meeting to consider how to deal with the reformist faction’s swift moves.

This meeting was reportedly arranged in response to a plea from Choe for help. The conservatives have recently been keeping a low profile in order to avoid causing offense to party reformers.

``We can’t just sit idle and watch them occupy the party like a revolutionary army,’’ a GNP lawmaker told Yonhap News Agency on Wednesday night. ``We will also take some action in order to protect the party.’’

The GNP’s top strategist Hong Joon-pyo has also expressed his intention to help Choe retain his post. ``I can’t accept their demand for Choe to resign without giving him any type of advisory role,’’ he said. ``If he does resign, the party will be dismantled.’’

Choe departed from his home in Apgujong, Seoul, for an unidentified provincial area at 7:50 a.m. on Thursday to think over his political future. In front of his home, Choe responded to reporters’ questions only by saying repeatedly, ``I have nothing to say.’’

``Mr. Choe said he wants to have time to think alone and will stay away at least two days,’’ Choe’s spokesman said. ``He will not only ponder over his political future, but also search for ways to stabilize the party and win the upcoming elections.’’

The four-term kingpin of the GNP held a meeting with his aides on Wednesday night and is reportedly grasping for any way to rescue his political career, even considering taking on a supporting role to assist with party reform.


im@koreatimes.co.kr