Fierce Competition in Local Constituencies of "Migratory Lawmakers"

With general elections to be held next year, prospective candidates are rushing into local constituencies of which lawmakers defected from their own party to another around last year`s presidential election.

In particular, eyes are on the local constituencies of ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) members who bolted form the MDP to the opposition Grand National Party (GNP). Prospective candidates who hope to run on the MDP tickets are raising criticism on those who left the MDP, saying that they are opportunists who jumped on the bandwagon of then GNP presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang.

The local constituencies of the lawmakers who left the MDP include Gangbuk A, Seoul (Rep. Kim Won-kil), Dukyang B, Goyang city, Gyeonggi province (Rep. Lee Geun-jin), Yongin B, Gyeonggi province (Rep. Kim Yoon-sik), Hwaseong, Osan city, Gyeonggi province (Rep. Kang Sung-goo), Pyeongtaek A, Gyeonggi province (Rep. Won Yoo-chul), and Cheonan A, North Chungcheong province (Rep. Jun Yong-hak). The constituencies of former United Liberal Democrats members who defected include Hongseong, Cheongyang city, South Chungcheong province (Rep. Lee Wan-koo) and Dong, Daejeon metropolitan city (Rep. Lee Yang-hee).

In Gangbuk A, Seoul, Rep. Kim Tae-rang, a supreme council member, and Rep. Oh Young-sik, who belongs to the national constituency, are already in preparation to be designated as a MDP candidate. Actor Moon Sung-geun who is close to President Roh Moo-hyun, is under consideration. There is talk that they are already looking for a residence in the constituency.

In Dukyang B, Goyang city, Gyeonggi province, Lee Myung-sik, a former student activist, and Park Jun, who is close to Rep. Chung Kyun-hwan, floor leader of the MDP, are in preparation.

Seven to eight people, including Kim Hak-min, president of publishing company Hakminsa, are throwing down the gloves In Yongin B, Gyeonggi province, while more than ten people are expected to compete in Hwaseong, Osan city, Gyeonggi province.

In the local constituencies of these former MDP members, where people supporting the MDP compete to run on the MDP ticket, even other parties’ prospective candidates try to make profit out of the competition. In Cheonan A, North Chungcheong province, where Rep. Jun Yong-hak belongs, two to three people, including former lawmaker Jung Il-young are preparing to get the MDP ticket. In Dong, Daejeon metropolitan city, Kim Gwang-sik, former head of the Korean Federation for Environment Movement in Daejeon, is preparing to run on the MDP ticket.

Faced with such fierce competition in local constituencies, lawmakers who moved to another party around last year`s presidential election are reinforcing their decision not to step back, saying that a lot of people now understand their defection amid the falling popularity of the president.

Seung-Heon Lee ddr@donga.com