Number of Prospective MDP Defectors Varies From 10 to 61

As hardliners of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) seeking a new party agreed that they would leave the party if their plan to call a national convention fails at the party executives` meeting slated for September 4, eyes have been on the scope and time of the expected defection.

Eight hardliners of the MDP, including Reps. Chung Dong-young, Shin Ki-nam, and Chun Jung-bae, reached a consensus on the evening of Monday over the position that if the plan to call a national convention fails, they would take unified action to stick to the April 28 declaration for a new party and follow the leadership of the group seeking a new party, including Rep. Kim Won-ki. After all, unified action means defection, the only way to form a new party.

About 10 MDP lawmakers are willing to bolt from the party right away if the party executives` meeting rejects the proposal of holding a national convention. However, Lee Kang-chul, who is expected to assume the chief post of the party chapter in Daegu, is predicting that the number will reach 30-50. Rep. Park Yang-soo predicted that if Rep. Kim Keun-tae leaves the party, eight lawmakers following him would join the defection move, increasing the number to 61.

However, Rep. Chun Jung-bae corrected his remarks about the possibility of the defection of 50 lawmakers, saying that he only tried to stress that a new powerful party should formed.

Amid wide differences over the estimate of the number of prospective defectors, there are various predictions over defection time. It has not yet decided whether 10 members leave first right after the party executives` meeting or they do not take action until the Chuseok holiday when the number of prospective defectors is expected to rise to 30-50.

At a meeting of the group pushing for a new party on Tuesday, Rep. Shin Ki-nam professed that once the defection starts, many MDP lawmakers cannot but go with the tide.

However, the leadership of the group sees that such action by 10 lawmakers can die down easily. It is for en-masse defection, supported by Reps. Kim Won-ki, Lee Hae-chan, and Chung Dong-young.

It is not that there is not the possibility of some 10 members` leaving first, spearheading the defection move. At the Tuesday meeting, most participants agreed to take unified action after watching the results of the party executives` meeting, while some, including Rep. Shin Ki-nam, were insistent on expressing their own course of actionl after watching the results. Rep. Chun Jung-bae did not rule out the possibility of leaving the party early, either.

Meanwhile, some of the Roh supporters who want to form a new party are proposing that those members pushing for a new party remain within the party while seeking the creation of a new party by joining forces with those who want to participate in it outside the MDP.

The members seeking a new party blamed the old guard for the split within the party, saying that regionalism and the old guard`s efforts to keep their vested rights have prevented the formation of a new party.

Meanwhile, in a statement Rep. Jong Bum-goo said that hardliners seeking a new party is instigating a discord, on the pretext of reform and moderates maintaining neutral stance are gearing up for opposition to the split of the party.