With parties desperate for reform to survive the critical parliamentary elections, both the conservative Grand National Party and the liberal United Democratic Party announced plans aimed at pushing incumbent lawmakers out of their home turf.

And to no one's surprise it has created a great deal of acrimony. Harsh, sometimes violent attacks have come from rejected lawmaker-hopefuls who had looked forward to riding their parties' ticket to victory.

Some flared out at their party's nominating committees, while a few opted to hold a press conference, and all accused party bosses of applying "biased" candidate screening procedures.

As the strife intensifies, the GNP on Tuesday delayed its initial plans to issue a candidate list for the southern districts of Seoul and the country's Gyeongsang provinces.

The ruling GNP has so far picked 167 of a total 245 candidates to run for the 299-seat National Assembly.

The liberal UDP, meanwhile, has settled 55 candidates as of Monday and aims to release the rest by the end of this week.

But with no one willing to give up their vested rights, the April 9 elections could see a large number of political heavyweights running as independents.

Arirang News