Ruling camp seeks to reschedule election

The ruling Millennium Democratic Party moved to advance the date for local elections in four districts, scheduled for June 13, 2002, to April, next year. Meanwhile, the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) expressed readiness to consider the question positively. Therefore, the rival parties are likely to hold talks and reach an agreement on the matter before long.

If and when the local elections are held earlier than scheduled, the political parties are expected to readjust the date for holding their party national conventions to choose their presidential candidates for the 2002 vote.

A highly-placed official of the ruling camp asserted Wednesday that because the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup finals, slated for June, coincide with the local elections, there are discussions in the political quarters on the issue of postponing the local elections.

Another ruling camp source noted that the opposition GNP would not oppose early local elections, adding that in that case his party convention scheduled for next January could be put off until after April next year.

Rep. Huh Tae-Yeol, GNP's local autonomy affairs committee chairman and deputy chairman of the National Assembly political reform committee, disclosed that his party was studying the question of postponing the local elections and that because the matter was not complicated, the parties would be able to reach an accord without difficulty.

Yun Seung-Mo ysmo@donga.com