Ahn proposes talks with Pres. Park

Ahn Cheol-soo, co-chairman of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), called on President Park Geun-hye on Sunday to “meet in person and discuss pending political issues including abolishment of partisan nomination of candidates for lower-level administration chiefs and councilors.”

Hosting a press conference at the National Assembly, Ahn said, “As one of the candidates who promised not to nominate candidates for lower-level administration chiefs and councilors (by political parties) just like President Park at the last presidential election, and as a chief of the main opposition party, I cordially suggest (her) once again to clarify her stance on this matter.”

Ahn also criticized the ruling Saenuri Party, saying, “The party’s irrational claim ‘the opposition party seeks gains in return by demanding President Park to keep her pledge’ against the NPAD, which made a bold decision on non-nomination of candidates for lower-level administration chiefs and councilors, is a bad practice that should be liquidated, as well as logically irrational.” Ahn went on to say, “Though we face many difficulties at the sites of politics, we should keep promises that we made to the public. This is new politics and the foundational spirit of the NPAD,” as he emphasized anew the need to abolish the political party`s current practice to nominate candidates for lower-level administration chiefs and councilors. After the press conference, NPAD Co-Chairmen Ahn and Kim Han-gil staged a national signature collection campaign to abolish the political parties` candidate nominating practice at Seoul Station.

Ahn’s press conference signals the start of his party’s move to vigorously step up offensive to pressure the ruling party to abolish the nominating process. Analysts say that Ahn will seek to dispel intra-party controversies surrounding the abolishment of candidate nomination system.

The presidential office stopped short of issuing any response to Ahn’s offer. A source at the presidential office said, “President Park made a pledge to abolish nomination system for lower-level administration chiefs and councilors during her presidential election, but this is an issue that requires a revision to the Public Official Election Act, and hence should be addressed at the National Assembly.”