GNP Softens Stance on Defector Issue

The Supreme Council of the Grand National Party (GNP) decided on Wednesday to allow defectors to restore their party membership on a selective basis before the party convention slated for July 3. A large number of former Chairwoman Park Geun-hye’s confidants bolted from the party prior to the general elections held in April this year.

Cho Yoon-sun, spokeswoman of the party, told reporters that council members had agreed to allow back some qualified defectors at an appropriate time. “After the new floor leader and the chairmen of the 18th National Assembly committees are elected, the party will discuss specifics on when and who will be admitted.”

Cho also said that GNP Chairman Kang Jae-sup has softened his position and agreed to allow the defectors to rejoin the party before the party convention.

After the council meeting, Kang told reporters that there is no reason to reject Pro-Park defectors since they are also the ones who helped the GNP win last year’s presidential election. However, he is opposed to the idea of allowing all defectors to rejoin to the party, saying, “I believe that we should screen the defectors in accordance to the party’s identity and ethical standards and pay special consideration to those disqualified in the GNP nomination.”

When asked about his changed stance on the defector issue, Kang said, “I don’t have an ulterior motive on the issue. But I believe that the government will not be able to handle state affairs properly unless we reach an agreement on the formation of parliamentary committees.”

However, Kang dismissed Park’s demand to allow the defectors return to the party by the end of this month. “It didn’t make sense at all from the beginning.”

In the last council meeting held behind closed-doors, Rep. Kim Hak-won, one of Park’s confidants, demanded the immediate admission of all defectors, while Rep. Jeon Jae-hee and Rep. Chung Hyung-keun argued that only a select few should be allowed to return to the party. Kang claimed that only those who left the party after failing to win the party`s ticket to run in the parliamentary elections and fit its ethical standards should be admitted.

Article 43 of the GNP regulations stipulates that the membership of party members involved in irregularities such as taking bribes and raising illegal political funds is suspended upon indictment.

According to the council’s decision, independent lawmakers-elect, lawmakers-elect who left the party after failing to win the party’s ticket to run in the National Assembly elections, and those who are not subject to Article 43 of the party regulations will be allowed to return to the party.

In this regard, some GNP lawmakers say that Kang has swallowed his pride and pursued practical interests in order to buy time. Others believe he reached the decision because it allows him to claim that he has made a concession for the speedy return of the defectors and because there is only a slight chance that the leaders of the parliamentary committees will be selected before the party convention.

The GNP and the United Democratic Party will elect floor leaders on May 22 and 27, respectively. The negotiation for the leadership of the parliamentary committees will take place after the election. The 17th National Assembly was opened on June 5, 2004 and the formation of its committees was completed on June 29.

However, the restructuring of the standing committees will require this time as a result of the recent government agency restructuring before the negotiation for the formation of the 18th National Assembly standing committees takes place. In addition, the negotiation is expected to take even longer as this year marks the conservative forces’ first rule in 10 years. By the time negotiations on the formation of the parliamentary committees and discussions on the defector issue are complete, the tenures of the current party leaders will likely be over. On the council’s decision, Kim Hak-won expressed his discontent, saying that the council has practically decided to postpone the return of the defectors until the party convention.

taylor55@donga.com