President Roh’s Followers Seek to Create New Party Outside MDP

A move by followers of President Roh Moo-hyun within the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) to create a new party that will replace the MDP is expected to gain momentum as they plan to form a preparatory committee, along with reformist lawmakers outside the ruling party.

Reformist lawmakers of the MDP, including Rep. Lee Hae-chan, Rep. Chung Dong-young, Rep. Chun Jung-bae, Rep. Shin Ki-nam, Rep. Lee Ho-woong, agreed Sunday to disband the existing ruling party and create a new party. They are also reported to have made plans to discuss the procedure and schedule along with reform-minded lawmakers outside the MDP.

"Discussion to form the new party within the MDP is meaningless. A preparatory committee for the creation of a new party that includes reformist figures outside the MDP will be set up," Rep. Lee Ho-woong said.

"It is not decided whether reformist MDP lawmakers will participate in the preparatory committee after they defect from the party. If they do, it will facilitate participation of non-MDP members such as opposition Grand National Party lawmakers," he said.

"We already met with MDP lawmakers to persuade them to join the preparatory committee. How many lawmakers that join the committee is still not decided. The number will most likely not be that large," a key figure in the creation process of the new party said.

Twenty to thirty reformist lawmakers are likely to participate in the preparatory committee and the committee expected to gather more lawmakers over time.

Meanwhile, regarding the decision of 6 MDP officials to establish an intra-party committee to spur new party talks, reformist lawmakers said that talks within the MDP were currently a waste of time.

As reformist lawmakers is known to create a ‘new Pro-Roh Party’ outside MDP and the ruling party is on the verge of disbanding, controversy over responsibility for the disintegration of the party is expected to emerge.

Seung-Mo Yoon Hyung-gwon Pu ysmo@donga.com bookum90@donga.com