Each Candidate Will Have a Targeted Q&A for 5 Minutes

The Grand National Party (GNP) will hold a discussion to examine each candidate’s policies for the upcoming primary. The discussion will consist of questions and answers between candidates, leading to an intense reviewing process.

According to sources this newspaper gathered on May 22, the party will open the economic policy discussion at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center in Gwangju starting 1:30 p.m. on May 29 under the theme of boosting real economy and challenge for the global community.

Several candidates had proposed to have a discussion after registering as a primary candidate, but party leadership pushed forward holding the event as scheduled.

The Focus of the Policy Review-

Worrying over the fact that an intense discussion could be seen as a fight, the party decided to allow each candidate to present a 20-minute policy initiative and answer only the moderator. Several candidates, however, argued that a debate between candidates is necessary to review their policies effectively. Then the party changed the rules of the meeting to a question and answer format.

Accordingly, all candidates are expected to present their economic initiatives for seven minutes under the title, “Korea’s economic vision under our campaign pledges.” Then they will answer the moderator’s questions on an individual basis and ask questions about their competitors’ pledges. Each participant will be given an additional five minutes to debate. Following the debate, they will take questions from people representing the public.

An intense war of words is likely to happen during the debate session. Former Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak and former GNP leader Park Geun-hye are said to want to focus to asking questions on each other’s economic agenda.

A lawmaker close to the former mayor said, “He is considering asking her opinion on ways to boost the Korean economy on a specific subject basis in detail, instead of raising skeptical questions.” A lawmaker close to the former GNP leader said, “She already has critical consciousness of the issues, including the pan-Korea Grand Waterway Project. So without further preparation, she can give questions.”

The two frontrunners are also likely to compete for mobilizing an audience. On the other hand, four famous singers have been invited to the gathering also, leading to criticism for being an extravagant political party.

Primary Schedules-

As early as May 23, the GNP will set up a primary supervisory committee and start the 90-day race run up to the primary in full swing. Park Kwan-yong, former National Assembly speaker, will be the chairman of the committee, which will comprise fifteen lawmakers, a higher number than expected. The deputy chairman will be third term lawmaker Nam Kyung-pil.

The committee will hold its first meeting on May 25 and set governing rules in detail. The registration of candidacies will be completed later this month and early next month.

The review committee, set for May 28, will collect materials on potential allegations of candidates in June and investigate cases, including the person who raised the accusation and those who were involved in July. Holding a hearing in late July is under consideration, but Lee’s opposition makes the plan unlikely.

After the discussion ends on June 28, circulatory election campaigns will be held nationwide starting from July. By early August, the list of electorates consisting of GNP lawmakers, party members and non-party members will be confirmed and the official campaign trail will end around August 16.

The GNP primary is likely to take place around August 18 or 19. Opinion polls will be conducted the day before primary.

sunshade@donga.com