NMDP Will Elect Presidential Candidate and Party`s Leaders Simultaneously at National Convention in March Next Year

The Presidential Candidate of the New Millennium Democratic Party (NMDP) is anticipated to be elected at the end of March next year.

`The Special Committee For the Party`s Development and Reformation` of NMDP held a general meeting on 13th and decided to elect simultaneously the Presidential candidate and the Party`s leaders (Supreme Council members) at the National Convention in March next year.

As the date of the party`s national convention is decided, the Committee will submit the reformation measures, including the abolishment of party`s presidency and the separation of the party and the government, the introduction of the group leader system, the prohibition from running both for the Presidential election and the party`s leadership, the introduction of the bottom-up nomination system for the congressional election, and the introduction of the Presidential candidate election through the participation of the people, to the party`s executive committee to decide them as the party`s platform on 19th.

However, since Supreme Council members Han Hwa-Gap and Kim Geun-Tae won`t change their opinion of `2 levels National Convention` to elect the party`s leaders at first and the Presidential candidate later after the local government election, a severe clash in the party`s executive committee is anticipated.

The secretary of the Special Committee, Rep. Kim Min-Seok, said, "The exact date of the National Convention will be decided by the party`s executive committee on the condition that the National Convention is to be held by the end of March next year. The floor leader and the director of the policy-making committee will be elected before the National Convention."

Meanwhile, the nomination for the local government leaders will be made autonomously by the local chapters.

Jung Young-Gwan yongari@donga.com