DAEJEON -- Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People’s Party on Tuesday confirmed his candidacy for the upcoming May 9 presidential election by achieving a much-anticipated victory in the party’s final primary.
Ranking second in polls among candidates from all parties, he has now to face down front-runner Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Ahn Cheol-soo raises hands as he was named the presidential candidate of the People`s Party in Daejeon, Tuesday. (Yonhap)
“In a humble heart and solemn determination, I hereby accept the candidacy of the People’s Party for the 19th presidential election,” Ahn said, after being announced the final winner in the party’s convention to finalize its presidential candidate.
The centrist party with 39 seats of the 300-seat National Assembly on Tuesday held its final primary in Daejeon, following its six previous regional primaries held across the nation.
Ahn‘s final tally was 75.01 percent, taking 72.71 percent of the 184,184 valid on-site votes nationwide and 84.2 percent in public polls, according to the party’s election committee chief Rep. Chang Byoung-wan.
The sweeping result was no surprise, as Ahn had effectively sealed his victory from the very start of the regional rounds by raking in 64 percent of the electorate’s support in the initial primary held in the party’s stronghold of the Honam region -- Gwangju and North and South Jeolla Provinces -- on March 26. His overwhelming lead continued during the following primaries, further widening the gap with rivals Sohn Hak-kyu and Park Joo-sun.
Despite Ahn’s assured victory, Sohn and Park did their share in the competition to the end, gingering up the spirits of the event and presenting their slogans to the party audience.
Their supporters also attended the convention in a festive mood, accepting Ahn’s obvious win and calling for internal unity hereafter.
“President Ahn Cheol-soo and Prime Minister Sohn Hak-kyu!” some of Sohn supporters shouted out during a recess, reflecting their compromising expectations.
“I shall join hands with Sohn and Park, the two candidates who have accompanied me in this passionate journey, and achieve victory at all costs,” Ahn said.
It was Sohn’s suggestion of an open primary and Park’s leverage as senior lawmaker in the key strategic region -- the nation‘s southwestern city Gwangju -- that further revitalized the party’s primaries, according to Ahn.
Embracing Sohn’s request, the party had adopted an open primary system for the first time, to fully allow non-party members to participate in the candidate selection. The result was comprised by 80 percent on-site votes and 20 percent public polls, according to party officials.
Facing his role as leading centrist candidate, Ahn once again distanced himself from burgeoning talks of possible unity with other camps.
“I, Ahn Cheol-soo, shall become a president for the people, by the people, of the people,” he said.
“I will not form an alliance for the sake of political interests. I will not form an alliance to pardon those who opposed (former President Park Geun-hye’s) impeachment. I will not form an alliance just to oppose a specific person.”
Talks of candidate unification have been pivoting upon runner-up Ahn, so as to form a centrist-conservative alliance against liberal front-runner Moon. But Ahn has so far pledged to first prove his own competitive power, without relying on solidarity.
Meanwhile, Ahn and the party’s leadership have adopted a dual strategy to call for change of government on one hand and hold back rival Moon on the other.
Taking aim at the embattled Park Geun-hye administration, Ahn stressed his career as a self-made man, rising from a medical doctor to successful entrepreneur and then to a non-party-affiliated presidential aspirant.
“If not for her deceased father, the former President Park Chung-hee, how would Park Geun-hye have ever become president? If not for his father, would Lee Jae-yong risen as chief of Samsung Group?” Ahn asked in a forceful tone during his remarks.
He thus appealed to public animosity against the former president and the nation’s most celebrated conglomerate successor, both currently under arrest for their involvement in the extensive corruption scandal that led to Park’s impeachment.
Party Chairman Rep. Park Jie-won, who formerly served as floor leader of the Democratic Party, lashed out directly at Moon.
“Moon is an absurd character,” the smoothly spoken party chief said, pointing to some aggressive campaigns led by Moon’s aides.
Park asserted that Moon is a factional type who will only prioritize his aides and exclude dissenters from benefits, should he obtain power.
Also, floor leader Rep. Joo Seung-yong demanded Moon clarify allegations that his son was offered irregular employment favors, comparing the case to that of Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, who Park’s scandal pivots around.
The People’s Party was the only among the top four parties to hold its final primary in Daejeon or the surrounding Chungcheong area instead of the Seoul-Gyeonggi Province metropolitan region.
It was in this city that the splinter group from the Democratic Party held its inauguration ceremony in February last year, leading up to the April 13 parliamentary election.
“(Daejeon) is the birthplace of the Youth Concert, of political revolution, and of the multiparty parliamentary structure which we achieved,” said Ahn.
The region, which has often taken political neutrality, is also where the centrist party is hoping to further boost its approval rating by absorbing those formerly dedicated to South Chungcheong Province Gov. An Hee-jung. An dropped out of the presidential race Monday as Moon confirmed his victory in the Democratic Party’s final primary.
By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)