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Rhee In-je, the presidential candidate of the former Democratic Party, has been eliminated from the party¡¯s list of candidates for the April parliamentary elections. And nine incumbent UDP lawmakers in the Jeolla region, the party¡¯s stronghold, have been eliminated as well. That¡¯s close to a third of the 30 incumbent lawmakers in that region. This was foreseen, but the list of unsuccessful hopefuls includes even the son of former President Kim Dae-jung. It is shocking to see a lawmaker who ran for the presidency just a few months ago eliminated. It just shows how radical the changes are that are taking place in the UDP.
It is the result of bad politics that the nomination by a particular party in a particular region means a candidate is automatically elected as a lawmaker there. We have lived for 20 years with this chronic disease in Korean politics, but there haven¡¯t been any major changes. This is the reality we face. Now voters are calling for a major replacement of lawmakers, especially in a party¡¯s stronghold, a demand driven by a desire to improve Korean politics.
Politicians in those regions were busy kowtowing to influential party officials rather than listening to the needs of voters simply because nomination automatically guaranteed election to the National Assembly. Voters would criticize such people, but had no choice but to support them when they came back with the party¡¯s nomination. Now voters are calling for reforms in the way party nominations are handed out, beginning with the replacement of existing lawmakers in stronghold regions.
The UDP is meeting that expectation. One UDP official said the elimination of nine lawmakers in the Jeolla region is only the beginning. More lawmakers may be eliminated based on a final round of evaluations based on approval ratings, and there are forecasts that over half of the UDP¡¯s incumbent lawmakers may be eliminated when the nomination is finalized. The party is targeting the elimination of around 30 percent of incumbent lawmakers in regions other than Jeolla.
It already eliminated anyone who has spent time in prison for ethical transgressions, financial fraud or other corrupt conduct. UDP Chairman Sohn Hak-kyu and former presidential candidate Chung Dong-young abandoned their original constituencies and opted to run in Seoul. The public is expected to reward their sacrifices and the UDP¡¯s adherence to principles and standards in its nomination process.
But complaints are said to be getting louder from the incumbent lawmakers who have been eliminated. If the UDP, which came back from the dead after its humiliating loss during the presidential election, is able to overcome this pain and nominate truly able politicians, it will emerge as a very different party indeed.
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