8 GNP Hopefuls, 8 Recovery Strategies

The 7.11 party convention to elect the new leadership of the Grand National Party (GNP) began with heated debates among a lot of candidates over the methodologies of regaining political power.

The eight racerunners registered yesterday as candidates and held press interviews in the party headquarters in Yeomchang-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, insisting on their own qualifications for the political power recovery.

The management nomination will be based on the vote (70 percent), where 9,500 delegates cast two votes in each, and a public-opinion poll (30 percent). A total of five members will be selected by the number of votes obtained (the top executive member for the highest poll) and one should be female.

The former floor leader Lee Jae-oh from the Seoul Metropolitan Area was out of power suffering a hard prison life five times for 10 years during the 30-year pro-democracy movement. He entertains “strong management,” emphasizing combative spirit and reform. In particular, he maintains political power recovery through “pan-rightists association,” saying, “The Honam-based Democratic Party and Chungcheong-based People First Party could be associated if only they seek a free democracy and a market economy.” It means that he will face the ruling party’s attempt for “anti-GNP association” with “opposite political restructuring.”

The ex-floor leader Kang Jae-sup based in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province places emphasis on his statesmanship of being elected five times and his qualifications for representing the party’s conservative identity with a slogan of “reform along with stability.” He maintains, on the other hand, “association with parties promoting national development,” saying, “Any parties seeking national development could be associated except for minor corrupt parties and pro-North parties.” It is reasoned that political power recovery should be accompanied by tolerating “anti-Roh” or “non-Roh” parties, from new right to centrist reformers.

Kwon Young-se, the only candidate from the “Future Group” led by the party’s young centrist members, entertains “standard-bearer alterations.” It means that “the third generation,” having passed over the industrial democratic age, should lead the party in order to get the nation to recognize the GNP’s change and to win the presidential election.

The ex-spokeswoman Chun Yu-ok emphasizes an image of female warriors, saying, “In order to retake the lost 10 years out of power, we need a leader with firepower.” She said that she would restructure the Yeouido Research Institute into “Strategic Information Command” to devise master plan for the presidential election and move forward with embracing the Honam district.

Ex-lawmaker Kang Chang-hee and Rep. Rhee Q-taek maintain “Chungcheong casting vote” and “Presidential aspiration of Seoul Metropolitan Area” strategies, respectively. Especially Kang, who won a losing game for the Daejeon City mayor post in the 5.31 local elections appeals to the delegates for their “strategic choices,” saying, “Unless we take votes from Chungcheong Province, we will definitely lose the presidential election.”

Chung Hyung-keun and Lee Bang-ho underscore “the conservative identities” of the nation and the party.

Sung-Won Park Yong-Gwan Jung swpark@donga.com yongari@donga.com