DP takes another step toward election defeat

Controversy is building in the majority Democratic Party (DP) over the way the leadership is packaging its roster of candidates to compete in the April 10 parliamentary elections. According to multiple party sources, a survey was conducted over the weekend by leaving out lawmakers and figures close to former President Moon Jae-in. In a poll on voters of a Guro district in Seoul, Lee Yong-woo, a new recruit, took the place of current Rep. Lee In-young, a pro-Moon lawmaker, to compete with a People Power Party (PPP) candidate. Such cases are many.

The DP claims that the survey was not a party-level poll. But lawmakers regard the move as an elimination attempt. Fissures are widening after DP legislators strongly protest the standards of the party for eliminating lawmakers who finished in the bottom 20 percent.

Selecting the surveyor liable for the controversial poll was also questioned. If the suspicions prove true, the party’s nomination of candidates cannot be justified. Party members are demanding answers on the poll. In contrast, the governing PPP has so far caused less noise over its nomination by realigning candidates in the conservative support bases in Busan and South Gyeongsang, which are traditionally reserved for party bigwigs, and minimizing any possible benefits for close aides of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The majority DP on the other hand is grappling with speculation about the role of the unofficial inner circle of leader Lee Jae-myung. Rising confidants of Lee are said to be sharing opinions and getting involved in key decisions, including the nomination process. Party veterans such as permanent adviser Kwon No-gap publicly expressed concern over speculation about the involvement of an unofficial group in the nomination process.

Polls are turning unfavorable for the majority party. In last week’s Gallup Korea survey, the DP’s approval rating sank to 31 percent from 35 percent while the PPP’s rose from 34 percent to 37 percent. In another phone survey, the DP’s rating stood at 37.2 percent compared to the PPP’s at 44.3 percent. The conflict between loyalists of former President Moon and the DP’s current chief Lee over the nomination of Im Jong-seok, former chief of staff for Moon, could have affected voters’ sentiment.

The fledgling parties to serve as satellites to the DP for proportional representation seats are also controversial for having anti-U.S. and pro-North Korea figures. A coalition with splinter Green Justice Party may not be easy due to complexities in dividing constituencies. Nothing in the DP’s run-up to the election seems to be clear and honest. It has no chance in the election with such outdated ways. Undemocratic nominations have always led to cruel judgements on election day.