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Around 55 GNP candidates nominated to run for National Assembly seats in the Seoul region held a press conference Sunday and demanded President Lee Myung-bak¡¯s older brother Lee Sang-deuk halt his own bid for a seat and to stop meddling in government. They urged the party leadership and President Lee to look back on what has happened during the months since the presidential election and to return to the grassroots mentality that had won the hearts of voters.
President Lee won the presidential election by capturing more than 50 percent of the vote in the capital region, where 111 National Assembly seats are now up for grabs. And the reason why the GNP¡¯s candidates have taken group action, with just two days left until candidates must register their bids, shows just how desperate the situation facing the party is when it comes to voter sentiment.
As the main reasons for the falling support for the GNP in the Seoul region, the candidates pointed out policies that alienated the working class, botched appointments of key government officials and favoritism displayed during the party¡¯s nomination process. They said the only way for the president and his party to overcome the crisis is for National Assembly Vice Speaker Lee Sang-deuk to accept responsibility and sacrifice himself.
Vice Speaker Lee¡¯s aides were angered by the comments, saying far from being the one who created these problems for the GNP, he was the person who resolved them. Listening to stories that are coming from within the GNP, it appears that there is some truth to the claims by the vice speaker¡¯s aides. They are gearing up to launch a counter attack by pointing out that a significant number of the GNP candidates calling for the vice speaker¡¯s ouster are close to Rep. Lee Jae-oh, the abrasive de-facto head of the Lee faction, who they say is really responsible for the GNP¡¯s loss of voter support.
The vice speaker claims to have been very careful about his own conduct, but it is true that whenever the GNP announced its latest candidate for National Assembly seats, there were rumors that the older Lee had played a major role in the selection. Also, GNP sources say it is common knowledge among key party members that the vice speaker¡¯s close confidants played key roles in the selections of officials for government posts, including Cheong Wa Dae and the National Intelligence Service.
Vice Speaker Lee could reject the calls for his ouster. That would be a personal victory for him, but it will without a doubt be a major burden for the GNP and for his brother, President Lee. He has just two days left to make a decision.
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