Primary Losers to be Banned from Seeking Presidency

As of the end of June, presidential hopefuls of the Grand National Party will not be allowed to run for the presidency if he or she is defeated in the primary race.

As the internal feud over primary rules has been settled, attention has been refocused on presidential aspirants’ possible rejection of primary outcomes.

In this regard, former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak and former GNP Chairwoman Park Geun-hye said it is only natural for those who lose the nomination race to help the winner.

The registration of primary candidates is expected to begin at the end of this month once the GNP amends its primary rules. According to the current election law, once he or she registers as the primary candidate of a political party, he or she must accept the result of the primary race. In other words, the primary candidate registration is the last crossroads for presidential aspirants.

The GNP is planning to hold a meeting of the National Council on May 21 and confirm the agreed primary rules that stipulate the vote to take place in August nationwide with an electoral college of 231,652. Following that, the National Standing Committee will hold a meeting to revise the primary regulations concerning the Primary Election Commission, the electoral college, and electioneering in accordance with the party constitution.

Once the Primary Election Commission is established on May 22 or 23 in accordance with confirmed primary rules, the commission will draw up the details of the nomination race. The Election Commission will also work on details of primary candidate registration, as well as controversial issues such as the procedures of opinion polls, joint speeches and forums, and the enrollment of the electoral college.

“As soon as the Election Commission is established, the registration period for primary candidates will be decided. In order to hold the primary election before August 21, the registration must take place at the end of May or early June at the latest.” an official of the GNP said.

After the registration, joint speeches and debates will follow before a nationwide vote takes place on either August 18 or 19 to decide the winner of the party`s ticket to the 2007 presidential elections.

myzodan@donga.com