Eleven anti Roh Mu-hyun Millennium Democratic Party representatives quit the party Monday. They are Kim Young-bae, Kim Won-kil, Park Sang-kyu, Yoon Jae-kyu, Sol Song-woong, Lee Hee-kyu, Kim Deok-bae, Park Jong-woo, Choi Sun-young, Lee Yoon-su and Song Seok-chan. In addition proportional representation lawmakers Choi Myung-hun, Chang Tae-wan and Park Sang-hee asked the MDP leadership to remove their names from the party roster, indicating they would join the 11.

An MDP source said six more members will leave the party on Friday at the end of the National Assembly's plenary session. He added Rhee In-je and his associates are also expected to quit the party by the end of the month.

The group led by Kim Young-bae said they were leaving the party to prepare for a possible second primary vote to elect a single candidate from Roh and independent Chung Mong-joon. These lawmakers and others who left earlier will join together to form an Assembly negotiating group.

United Liberal Democrats Floor Leader Kim Hak-won said his party would hold discussions with the group concerning a joint negotiating group.

Chung's supporters said they would hold negotiations on a single candidate in the near future, though they rejected a national primary proposed by Roh on Monday, saying it was realistically impossible due to legal constraints.

(Choi Joon-seok, jschoi@chosun.com )