Roh under Pressure over Single Candidate

A controversy over fielding a single presidential candidate is showing signs of escalating within the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP).

MDP lawmaker Bae Gi-sun reignited the issue yesterday, when he reported the public sentiment during the Chuseok holiday. He said, "The public want the MDP to solve internal disputes as soon as possible and Roh and Chung to team up with each other."

Bae`s remarks were echoed by Rep. Chung Kyun-hwan, floor leader, when he stressed the need for Roh and Chung to join and present a single candidate, saying that the party should prepare a single candidate to run for office.

"We should leave open the door for a single candidate and the moves to field a single candidate should continue," Chung said, adding that the top priority is to win the presidential election.

Rep. Lee Hyup also put thinly veiled pressure on Roh, saying, "If Roh ignores the public opinion, the public will harshly judge the party. He has to maintain a more scientific approach to analyze the public opinion."

But Roh`s supporters defied such criticism and said, "It is true that some people expressed concerns about Roh`s failure to embrace party members with different opinions. But a majority of the public criticized the party for failing to get its members united."

Taking the discussion over fielding a single candidate, the move by Roh`s detractors to create a new party is gaining momentum.

About 10 party members who oppose Roh plans to hold a meeting today and to urge party chairman Han Hwa-gap to convene a meeting of party officials. They are reported to have collected signatures from 67 lawmakers as of the 23rd.

Regional representatives include Seol Song-woong in Seoul, Park Jong-woo and Lee Yun-su in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, Kim Gi-jae in Busan, Park Sang-hee in Daegu, Kim Gyeong-cheon in Gwangju, Chang Seong-weon in Jeonbuk Province and Yu Jae-gyu in Gangwon Province.

They envisioned a plan to field a single presidential candidate in stages by creating a task force first, setting up a body to create a new party, and then launching a preparatory committee for a new party.