MDP to elect presidential candidate in summer next year

The ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) plans to hold the national party convention to elect its presidential candidate in either July or August next year after the local election is over(June 13).

“The remarks that the ruling party should nominate the presidential candidate earlier were misinterpreted,” Nam Kung-jin, senior official of the Presidential Secretaries. He continued to say, “If the ruling party elects the presidential candidate prior to the next year’s local election, it may have a difficulty of mobilizing the party members due to the outcome of the election.”

Nam also added, “Although the party will discuss the proper time of the election, there has not been no precedent case that the party had elected the candidate prior to June.”

The ruling party chairman Kim Joong-Kwon backtracked from his earlier stance on the remarks of Rep. Kim Ki-jai, saying that he only reiterated what Rep. Kim Ki-jai had expressed. Rep. Kim Ki-jai earlier said, “The ruling party should not sit idle while the oppositional party is active in election campaign.”

Meanwhile, Kwon Chul-hyun, Spokesperson of the Grand National Party, criticized that “The ruling party is only concerned about the presidential election without addressing such pending issues as welfare of the people.” He added, “President Kim Dae-jung should not make an effort to embrace Kim who is already stigmatized as a failed politician."

Yun Seung-Mo ysmo@donga.com