MDP Faces a Turning Point with a Joint Meeting of Party Leaders

As the internal feuds in the aftermath of the overwhelming defeat in the local elections have remained unsolved, the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) will hold a meeting of a joint session of supreme councilors, advisors and lawmakers on Jun. 17.

The joint session is expected to be a crucial turning point for MDP with the party suffering from severe internal disputes over the alienation from President Kim Dae-jung, the founder of the party and a vote of confidence in Roh Moo-hyun, the presidential candidate.

Mainstreamers and reformists are trying to reshape the party centered on Roh through an earlier-than-expected party convention. They also expect that a vote of confidence in Roh would be passed as there is no alternative candidate. Non-mainstreamers, in the meantime, are calling on Roh to quit his presidential bid.

Mainstreamers are concentrating their efforts on overhauling the party by distancing from President Kim. They are also mulling over the establishment of a new political party. They are open to accept the demands from reformists such as the departure of Rep. Kim Hong-il, the eldest son of President Kim, the dissolution of President Kim’s Peace Foundation for the Asia-Pacific Region and the dismissal of presidential aides.

Supreme councilor Chung Dae-cheol and party advisors Kim Won-ki, Kim Sang-hyun and Chung Dong-young held a meeting on Jun 16 and agreed to reconfirm Roh’s candidacy and join forces with reformists.

On the other hand, non-mainstream lawmakers are urging Roh to resign as the party’s standard-bearer in a bid to bring Reps. Park Geun-hye, a daughter of the late President Park Chung-hee, and Chung Mong-joon, into its fold. They are calling for establishing a new party including the United Liberal Democrats (ULD) and the Democratic People’s Party.

“We expected that Roh’s presidential candidacy would attract votes from the Yeongnam region, but he failed to prove his popularity in the region,” Rep. Cho Jae-whan from the Donggyo-dong faction, a group of longtime loyalists to President Kim, said, “He should give up his candidacy and help the party form an ‘anti-Lee Hoi-chang coalition’.”

Meanwhile, moderates of the party are urging Roh to actively engaging to recruit Reps. Park Geun-hye and Chung Mong-joon while expressing skepticism over the immediate replacement of Roh.

Young-Chan Yoon Yong-Gwan Jung yyc11@donga.com yongari@donga.com