Moon Jae-in, a liberal presidential hopeful, has suggested to his rival Ahn Cheol-soo that they form a coalition if either of them is elected president in December.
Moon, who was chief of staff to deceased President Roh Moo-hyun, and Ahn, a popular entrepreneur and professor, are leading the race to become presidential nominees among political liberals.
Their alliance “should go beyond the level of joint candidacy … toward the formation of a joint government,” Moon, senior adviser to the Democratic United Party said in an interview with Hankyoreh newspaper published Friday.
Moon Jae-in
He expressed optimism that liberal circles will merge candidates before the election to challenge the Saenuri Party’s Park Geun-hye.
“Integrating our political capability with Ahn and selecting a single candidate will be the most important thing for the liberal circles before the presidential election. I think it is highly likely,” he said.
“We have similar views in aiming the political power shift in the country, achieving economic democracy and expanding welfare benefits. The alliance will strengthen our grounds not only in winning the election but in practicing our ideas,” he said.
Moon said whether he is selected as the candidate is not so important.
“If people choose me to be the candidate I will run for it. But if I don’t I wouldn’t mind playing a supporting role in the liberals’ regaining power,” he said.
Moon did not elaborate on the precise model of joint government. Observers said it would be much like the 1997 alliance between opposition candidates Kim Dae-jung of the Democratic Party and Kim Jong-pil of the conservative United Liberal Democrats. Kim Dae-jung won the election and shared power by appointing Kim Jong-pil prime minister.
By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldm.com)
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
