UNDP-DP Merger Faces Backlash

The United New Democratic Party (UNDP) demanded a renegotiation just a day after the announcement of a merger with the minor Democratic Party (DP). Pundits believe a tough road lies ahead before the actual merger takes place.

UNDP Chairman Oh Chung-il, who held a press conference in the middle of a party executive meeting at the National Assembly on Tuesday, said, “I support the outcomes of yesterday’s four-member talks and accept them as political statements for a merger. However, I will launch the Merger Negotiation Committee to discuss the conditions of the merger again.”

When Oh was asked if the already agreed-upon details of the deal can be renegotiated, he said, “We must discuss matters that are deemed to be necessary. We have reached an agreement with the Democratic Party first in the process of forming a pan-liberal alliance. But both the DP and the Creative Korea Party (CKP) have agendas that require addressing.”

“What Oh said is that although he agrees with the merger, the propositions should be discussed again. Actually, he is asking for the merger to be renegotiated from the starting point,” said a senior official of the UNDP who attended the meeting yesterday.

However, DP leader Park Sang-cheon said at a luncheon with regional chief campaign managers, “Changes in the principles of the joint statement are not acceptable. If the negotiation collapses, (the UNDP) will have to run in the presidential election independently.”

UNDP presidential candidate Chung Dong-young, Oh, DP presidential candidate Rhee In-je, and Park met on Monday and agreed on six points: to tentatively name the to-be-merged party as the United Democratic Party; to declare to take a centrist, reform line; to hold the party convention in June 2008 and form a leadership and a decision-making body in which both sides will be equally represented; to complete the merger by November 19; to hold two rounds of TV debates before November 20; and to conduct a nationwide survey to select a single candidate between November 23 and 24.

Disputes over the agreement erupted in the UNDP because of a strong backlash from its lawmakers who are opposed to holding the party convention in June 2008, which comes after the April general elections. The party chairman is elected in the party convention.

“If the party convention is held next June, it will be held under DP leader Park’s absolute influence. Thus, there was great resistance and anxiety from the pro-Roh Moo-hyun side and pro-former Gyeonggi Governor Sohn Hak-gyu side and civic organizations,” said a senior official of the UNDP.

Most of the executive party members, who were disgruntled with the agreement, unleashed a barrage of criticism against Oh during the party executive meeting. Pro-Roh lawmakers and a group of senior lawmakers also held separate meetings in order to propose a renegotiation.

Meanwhile, Chung’s spokesman Choi Jae-cheon told reporters that Chung merely expressed his principle stance in this regard, saying that the principles of the four-member talks must be respected.

In this regard, DP`s spokesman Yoo Jong-pil refuted, saying, “I clearly state that a renegotiation will not be tolerated. No one will trust a party which reverses the statement that has been jointly signed and declared by the presidential candidates and the party leaders.”

“Although the process will be very painful, a renegotiation will soon take place since it is a critical time when the two parties absolutely need to form an alliance prior to the presidential election,” said a high-ranking DP official.

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