SKorea's president Roh leaves ruling party, enabling it to form alliances |
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Published
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Fri, 23 Feb 2007 07:30
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SEOUL (XFN-ASIA) - President Roh Moo-Hyun's decision to leave his ruling Uri Party will ease Uri's efforts to merge with allies and create a new entity ahead of the December presidential election, analysts said.Critics had said his personal unpopularity was undermining support for Uri.But there are fears the move will confirm Roh's 'lame duck' status in his final year in office, amid a variety of challenges such as the economic slowdown and North Korea's nuclear program.Uri has an approval rating of little more than 10 pct compared to 50 pct for the conservative Grand National Party (GNP.)A spokesman for Roh quoted him as saying he had decided to leave 'in order to help eliminate intra-party conflict.'Prime Minister Han Myeong-Sook also offered to resign. She reportedly intends to run for president and is set to represent Uri and its allies.Roh's action sparked GNP condemnation.'This is nothing more than a political circus aimed at benefiting the ruling party struggling with low popularity,' a spokesperson said. 'The president should either withdraw the desertion or form a new, politically neutral cabinet.''President Roh is so unpopular that his membership was considered a burden on the party,' said political science professor Kim Seong-Ho of Kyunghee University.'The move will help deflect criticism over the ruling camp's policy failures in the lead-up to the election by shifting half of the responsibility to the GNP, which has now the largest number of seats in parliament,' he said.Thirty-one Uri lawmakers have left Uri in recent weeks, depriving it of its parliamentary majority. Uri now has 108 seats and the GNP 127.afp
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Taiwan's ex-premier Hsieh announces presidential bid 