MDP an underdog as campaign starts

The 16-day campaign for the Aug. 8 by-elections to the National Assembly began Tuesday as candidates in the 13 electoral districts where seats are open registered their names with the National Election Commission.

On the first day of registration, 45 candidates submitted their names for the 13 vacancies, about 3.5 candidates per seat on average. The fiercest competition is expected in the Habpo district of Masan, where 6 candidates registered for the seat.

As was the case in the local elections in June, political observers will draw inferences about the presidential election in December from the results of these 13 assembly races. Korea's two major parties are paying special attention to seven elections in the capital region ?three in Seoul, three in Gyeonggi province and one in Incheon ?as a barometer of sentiment in Korea's largest population area.

The Grand National Party, now with 128 assembly seats, smells blood after its lopsided local election successes and hopes to pick up the nine seats it would need for an outright majority in the 273-seat National Assembly. Recent opinion polls seem to support that optimism.

The Millennium Democratic Party is ahead only in two districts in the Jeolla provinces, observers said. The Millennium Democrats, political analysts said, will probably stage a typical underdog's campaign, warning voters of the dangers of allowing the GNP to dominate the Assembly and local mayor's posts and councils.

by Kim Jung-ha