The prolonged conflict between President Roh Moo-hyun and the ruling Uri Party appears to be spinning out of control, with Roh and Uri Party leaders publicly exchanging criticism of each other.
Roh's office reiterated Friday that the president has no intention to bolt from the ruling party and denounced Uri Party Chairman Kim Geun-tae for distorting the president's vision for the future of the party.
"President Roh has never suggested his defection from the Uri Party as a fait accompli," Roh's chief of staff Lee Byung-wan told reporters. The president is just opposed to the Uri Party's move to merge with the minority Democratic Party, which has been heavily dependent on the southwestern provinces of Jeolla for its political survival, Lee said.
Lee then expressed regret over Kim's criticism of Roh.
Kim, who leads the ruling party's mainstream faction in favor of a merger with the Democratic Party and other political forces based in Jeolla provinces, said at a party meeting Friday morning that Roh could insult his political supporters by seeking to sever ties with Uri Party and join hands with the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP).
Roh and his supporters defected from the Democratic Party in late 2003 to create the Uri Party. In the face of a nose-diving public approval rating, however, Uri Party leaders are now seriously considering merging with the Democratic Party.
"The president will support the Uri Party's dismantling and merger (with the Democratic Party) only if its historical and political identity is preserved," Lee said.
On Thursday, President Roh that he has no intention to break with the ruling Uri Party.
"I'll not leave the Uri Party. I'll protect the Uri Party," Roh was quoted as telling his aides.
"I'm opposed to the creation of a new party (by Uri Party lawmakers)," the president said, referring to its mainstream faction's move to defect to create a new party.
But the president still left open the possibility of his secession from the party by saying that he will do whatever will benefit the party's survival.
Political observers and local media have speculated that the president may leave the Uri Party as soon as the ongoing National Assembly session is finished on Dec. 9, while the mainstream forces of the ruling party are likely to display moves to create a new party.
According to the latest opinion poll by a daily newspaper in Seoul, the popularity of the Uri Party has fallen to an all-time low of 8.8 percent, compared with more than 44 percent for the main opposition GNP. Roh's own approval rating has also plummeted to slightly over 10 percent, the survey showed.
Seoul, Dec. 1 (Yonhap News)
Roh, Uri Party chairman remain wide apart over future of ruling party |
