New UPP leader to restore opposition alliance

Kang Ki-kab, center, newly-elected leader of the minor opposition Unified Progressive Party (UPP), waves the party flag during an inaugural ceremony of the left-leaning party’s new leadership at the National Assembly Memorial Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, Sunday. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun

The newly-elected leader of the left-wing minor opposition Unified Progressive Party (UPP) pledged Sunday to mend ties with the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) in an attempt to field a unified presidential candidate.

“Our party will select its own presidential candidate by September and rebuild its temporarily loosened alliance with the main opposition Democratic United Party without delay,” Kang Ki-kab said in an acceptance speech.

Kang noted the UPP and DUP _ which withdrew its strategic partnership with the far-left party in the wake of a primary fraud scandal in April _ should field a unified opposition candidate in the Dec. 19 presidential election.

“The year 2012 should be a year of regime change. I’ll accomplish an opposition alliance based on shared policies, values and vision,” Kang said, heralding a major overhaul to the pro-North Korean party mired in factional infighting.

Lee Sang-hee, head of the UPP’s Central Election Commission, announced Sunday that reformist interim leader Kang was elected as the new chairman of the party with 20,861 votes, defeating Kang Byung-gee, who gained 16,479 votes.

The new UPP chief garnered 55.8 percent of 37,340 ballots cast by party members through online, mobile and on-site voting from last Tuesday through Saturday.

It was a surprise victory because the former chairman of the defunct Democratic Labor Party had a weak grip on the UPP and was criticized for the breakdown of the party’s online voting system during the leadership election late last month.

Many forecast Kang Byung-gee backed by the UPP’s mainstream would clinch the top post, despite them being embroiled in a vote rigging scandal in the National Assembly elections.

“My election has displayed the desire of party members and the public for reform,” Kang Ki-kab said.

Political pundits say his victory would guarantee the expulsion of two UPP lawmakers _ Lee Seok-ki and Kim Jae-yeon _ who have been under pressure to leave the party for their involvement in a rigged primary to select proportional representation candidates.

The fate of the two pro-North Korean legislators will be determined in a general meeting of the party’s lawmakers to be held today.

Of the UPP’s 13 lawmakers, six have shown sympathy to Lee and Kim, while five expressed strong support to back Kang Ki-kab’s move to expel the two legislators for their responsibility in the fraudulent voting.

Observers say the remaining two legislators, who have remained neutral over the issue, will likely cast votes in favor of the new leadership to oust Lee and Kim, who have also been under fire for being pro-North sympathizers.

The UPP was engulfed in turmoil over allegations that its primary vote, conducted in March to select proportional representation candidates for the April 11 parliamentary elections, was rigged by the mainstream of the party, including Lee and Kim.

If the left-leaning party expels them, they will become independent lawmakers.

Both ruling and opposition parties welcomed Kang’s election, saying they expect the new leader to fulfill his promise to push major reform in the troubled party.

“We’d like to congratulate Kang on his election as party leader,” DUP spokesman Park Yong-jin said. “Our party hopes the UPP, under the helm of Kang, will launch a joint opposition front to change the government.” <The Korea Times/Lee Tae-hoon>

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