Political Circles' Post-Election Strategies

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Political Circles' Post-Election Strategies

As political circles have been rearranged into a two-party system, with the the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) on one side and the Grand National Party (GNP) on the other, the two parties have started coming up with measures to take the initiative on the political scene.

The MDP plans to manage the political situation with help from beyond party line, given the scheduled June summit talks in P'yongyang, while GNP President Lee Hoi-chang stressed politics of mutual prosperity.

In the midst of this situation, it is notable that both the ruling party and the opposition expressed favorable attitudes toward talks between President Kim Dae-jung and Lee Hoi-chang.

Kim Jong-pil, the honorary president of the United Liberal Democrats (ULD), ensconced himself in his Chonggu-dong residence, trying to find a way to break away from the difficulty his party was facing. The ULD failed to win enough seats to form a recognized body on the floor.

In connection with talks between the heads of the ruling party and the opposition, a Chong Wa Dae official said, "We are examining a plan to hold a meeting with the GNP's Lee Hoi-chang, taking the form of the president listening to opinions on the inter-Korean summit talks from all walks of society." Chong Wa Dae Spokesman Park Joon-young said, "We expect cooperation at a national level in order to escape from the economic crisis and successfully carry out this task for our ethnic people, the improvement of inter-Korean ties."

In a press conference Yi Hoi-chang said, "If necessary, I will meet President Kim any time. I will do my best to stabilize politics and take care of the lives of the general public." However, he went on to say, "The president must frankly apologize for the abuse of money and power during the campaign, and he should hold related officials responsible."

Many are curious as to whether ruling circles will push for political realignment. Lee Won-chang, GNP campaign spokesman, warned that arbitrary political realignment would invite public resistance and problems in political circles.

On the other hand, a high-ranking ruling party official said, "An artificial reorganization is unnecessary. We lack 22 seats for a majority, but a climate will be created for us to receive support from five independents and the ULD (17 seats)."

A Chong Wa Dae official said, "President Kim Dae-jung plans to give a statement on April 17 to urge Korean people to dispel with regionalism, manifested during the elections, and unite their energy to support inter-Korean summit talks and economic recovery."




by Kim Kyo-joon

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