By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter

Chu Mi-ae, internal rebellion leader of the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), on Thursday declared that she will continue her job as head of the campaign committee, ending her claim to reshuffling party nominations for the April 15 general elections.

``I will do my best to help the MDP win the upcoming general elections,’’ Chu said via campaign spokesman Jang Jeon-hyung.

The move came a day after Chu’s attempt to conduct what she calls reform-oriented nominations was frustrated by party chairman Chough Soon-hyung with the ruling of the National Election Commission (NEC).

``Chu showed her intention to lead the party campaign as a rank-and-file party member though her failure to carry out reformative nomination has become distressing,’’ Jang said.

Despite Chu’s return to party campaigning ahead of the crucial polls, the No. 2 opposition party lost its candidates to run in the elections.

Nine candidates, who were to run in the April 15 general elections on the MDP tickets declared that they will not run as the party is mired in an ugly internal feud.

``I fold my bid to run in the April general elections with a sense of depression,’’ said former Kyonggi Province Governor Lim Chang-yuel.

Lim went on to say that he deplores the current political situation where voters just care about the candidates’ party affiliation when they cast a ballot, hinting that the least popular MDP has little chance to win in the polls.

Lee Tae-bok, former minister of health and welfare, Cho Dong-hoi, Kim Choong-il, Kang Duck-gu and Jeong Jong-yeol joined the move, who were all to run in Seoul or its neighboring region.

Lee, who was seeking a National Assembly seat in the Kuro, Seoul electoral district, added, ``The MDP-led impeachment backfired against the party, frustrating my political hopes.’’

Their boycotting the candidacy may fuel an exodus of party officials as a group of candidates on Chu’s side had already made public that they will leave the party in protest against Chough to step down.

They called on Chough to take responsibility for his impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun which prompted the voters to turn their backs on the party with all-time low popularity.

The young and reform-minded MDP dissidents fumed their anger, branding Chough’s move to reject the renominations by Chu as a ``suicide bombing.’’

Rep. Jeon Kab-kil said, ``Young party officials are struggling to enhance the damaged MDP image, however, the old guard does not help.’’

As top campaign manager Chu was defeated in her shot to put forward a new image of the party, the old guard pushed through a new list of proportional representatives for the April elections.

Though the campaign committee clearly refused to accept the new list, Chough is likely to make it because he has the authority to approve the party’s candidates.


yoonwonsup@koreatimes.co.kr