By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter

Party leaders make last-ditch electioneering efforts in Seoul and other metropolitan areas on the final day of the official campaign period, Wednesday. From left, Grand National Party chairwoman and campaign chief Park Geun-hye in Chongno-gu; the Millennium Democratic Party’s chief campaign manager Chu Mi-ae in Kumchon-gu, Shihung; Uri Party’s floor leader Kim Geun-tae in Yongdungpo-gu; and Democratic Labor Party chairman Kwon Young-ghil in Yoido. / Korea Times

Three major parties on Wednesday focused their final-day electoral campaigning in Seoul and nearby areas, which they think will determine the winner of Thursday’s 17th parliamentary polls.

Park Geun-hye, leader the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP), made whirlwind tours of major constituencies in Seoul, Inchon, and other cities in Kyonggi Province for the second day in a row.

``In the next Assembly, we will certainly implement all the pledges we have made,’’ Park said on a street in Chonnongdong, eastern Seoul. ``We’ve kept our promise of not having any negative campaigning till now. We will never let you down.’’

She tried to win the minds of undecided voters, who are estimated to account for 35 percent of the registered voters. ``Now we need the patriotism of those who have kept silent,’’ Park said. ``We need the people’s support for the GNP to prevent the Uri Party from becoming an unstoppable majority in the 17th parliament.’’

Park later visited Pusan to keep the pro-government Uri Party’s final rally in check before making a late evening arrival at Taegu, her hometown. Park will cast a ballot at her Talsong constituency on Thursday.

Chung Dong-young, chairman of the Uri Party, had his final campaigning in Myongdong in Seoul, which is frequented by young people.

``If those lawmakers, who had impeached the president, occupy the National Assembly once again, they will argue that their move was just and fair,’’ Chung said. ``They will exert pressure on the Constitutional Court. Then the president’s comeback will be more difficult.’’

He originally planned to campaign in Kwanghwamum, where large-scale candlelight vigils took place after the opposition-led impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun. But he cancelled after getting information that some civic groups were reportedly planning to hold candlelight vigils there, which the election watchdog has ruled as illegal.

Chung submitted to the National Election Commission his resignation from the candidacy for the proportional representation system as he promised Monday as a way to apologize for his tongue slippage against elders.

Other leaders of the de facto ruling camp crisscrossed major cities in Kyonggi Province and Pusan, the home of Roh and a stronghold of the GNP.

Five Uri lawmakers, including Kim Boo-kyum and Kim Young-choon, held a media conference with Moon Jae-in, a defense lawyer for Roh in his impeachment trial, at Pusan Station. They asked the people in Pusan to protect the ``son of Pusan’’ and argued that it would be a tragedy for Pusan if the GNP prevails in the port city.

Chu Mi-ae, top campaign manager of the minor opposition Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), spent her final day of stumping in Seoul and asked for people’s help to ``resuscitate’’ her party.

Her campaign trail covered 14 constituencies, which the party thinks will possibly produce MDP winners, including Hahm Seung-heui at the Nowon A district and Chang Sung-min at the Kumchon district.

Thanks to Chu’s painful campaigning in Cholla provinces, including the three-step-one-bow trail, the MDP now estimates that it has secured at least 11 of the total 31 seats in the traditional stronghold of the party that was established in 2000 by former president Kim Dae-jung, a native of South Cholla Province.

The people in the southwestern part of this country had turned their back on the MDP ever since it joined forces with the GNP to impeach Roh on March 12.

There are varied predictions, but pollsters think around 40 electoral districts in Seoul and the surrounding Kyonggi Province are expected to have close battles between the GNP and the Uri Party, deciding the winner of this election.