Lee Hae-chan, head of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP), resigned on Sunday in order to help break a stalemate in talks over fielding a single liberal candidate in December's presidential poll.

Lee said "the change of government" is the top priority for the opposition. He took over as party chief just five months ago.

Along with Lee, eight other senior members of the party's Supreme Council also quit Sunday.

Lee's decision was an apparent response to independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo's demand for sweeping reforms of the main opposition party.

Ahn and DUP contender Moon Jae-in last week began talks on a single candidacy to battle the ruling Saenuri Party candidate, Park Geun-hye, in the Dec. 19 election. Ahn, however, suspended the talks on Wednesday, questioning the sincerity of the DUP to respect rules, and urged the party to swiftly push forward reforms long demanded by party members and the public at large.

Ahn, formerly a software entrepreneur, has stressed that only by changing can the liberal side win the backing of the voters. He has not elaborated on what changes need to be implemented, although there had been calls within the DUP for the wholesale resignation of its leadership.

At a press conference following his meeting with senior party officials, Lee said he was willing to bear any personal sacrifice to ensure a liberal candidate will take office.

"A lot of people said demands for my resignation were not warranted, but the change of the government is a monumental call of the history and the time," Lee said. "I would now like to be a part of the efforts to change the leadership and to form a single liberal presidential candidate."

Lee said he did not want the status of senior DUP officials to be "viewed as an excuse to shun or delay talks for the single candidacy."

Lee added he could no longer bear watching Moon in agony over the stalled talks with Ahn, and asked the two candidates to immediately resume their discussions.

"The people wouldn't forgive them if they further delay or break off the talks based on their personal greed or interest," Lee claimed. "Criticizing the DUP as an outdated party is also an insult to two former presidents (Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Dae-jung, both liberal leaders), and I ask Ahn to keep that in mind."

From the Supreme Council, Rep. Kim Han-gil resigned on Nov. 1 and asked others to follow the suit.

Park Jie-won, the party's floor leader also serving on the Supreme Council, will remain in his post until the end of the current parliamentary session, officials said.

After Lee made his announcement, Moon said he will let Ahn set rules on unifying their candidacy.

"I ask for a quick resumption of the talks on the single candidacy -- we don't have a lot of time," said Moon, referring to the fast-approaching, Nov. 26 deadline for candidate registration.

"It's already become physically impossible to discuss a wide range of options," the DUP candidate added. "I will let Ahn and his camp draw the big picture of the process."

Moon also thanked Lee and the DUP leadership for "making a difficult decision" to provide a breakthrough for the stalled talks with Ahn.

In response to the DUP's move, Ahn said he will meet with Moon "at the earliest possible date." He was visiting the city of Gwangju, about 330 kilometers south of Seoul, on his campaign trail.

"I didn't necessarily seek personnel changes within the DUP but more of changes to its outdated way of doing politics," Ahn told reporters in Gwangju. "I'd like to pay respect to Lee for his sacrifice, and to make sure his efforts won't go for naught, I will put everything on line to achieve the single candidacy."

As for Moon's offer to let Ahn determine the rules for unifying the liberal candidacy at his discretion, the independent contender said he will have discussions with Moon on "ways to bring together supporters of both sides."

Surveys so far show that in a three-way race, Moon and Ahn will lose to Park because they will split the liberal vote. In a hypothetical one-on-one race, a liberal candidate has a chance of becoming the next president in an extremely tight race. (Yonhap News)

<관련 한글 기사>

승부수 던진 문재인, 단일화 돌파구 마련할까?

민주통합당 문재인 대선 후보가 18일 `지도부 총사퇴'와 `단일화 방식 위임'이라는 두개의 카드를 전격 꺼내 들었다.

안철수 무소속 대선 후보와의 단일화 논의 교착국면에서 돌파구를 마련하기 위한 승부수로 받아들여진다.

이해찬 대표 등 지도부 총사퇴는 지도부의 결단이라는 모양새를 취하긴 했지만 지난달 21일 친노(친노무현) 9인방의 퇴진에 이어 친노의 좌장격인 이 대표까지 물러남에 따라 문 후보로선 단일화 국면의 큰 걸림돌을 제거한 셈이 됐다.

안 후보측이 제기해온 민주당 혁신 요구의 한가운데에는 이 대표를 정점으로 한 친노 세력에 대한 비판적 시각이 응축돼 있었기 때문이다.

문 후보는 지난 16일 안 후보로부터 `선(先) 민주당 혁신, 후(後) 회동'이란 숙제를 받아든 뒤 그날 밤 한 현역의원을 이 대표에게 메신저로 보내 의사를 타진했다고 한다. 17일 안경환 새정치위원회 위원장 등과 오찬을 가진 자리에선 "너무 걱정하지 말라"고 말한 것으로 전해졌다.

당과 캠프측에 따르면 이날 오후 이 대표가 통화에서 사퇴의사를 밝히자 문 후보도 "어려운 결심을 하셨다"며 "반드시 단일화에 성공해 보답하겠다"고 화답했다.

문 후보는 이 대표의 결심을 전해 듣고 고심 끝에 18일 오전 11시께 안 후보측에 단일화 방식 결정권을 넘기겠다는 최종 결심을 선대위 핵심관계자들에게 전했다.

일부 선대위 인사들은 "너무 나가는 것 아니냐"며 만류했으나 문 후보는  "이렇게 된 마당에 더이상 무엇을 더 멈칫멈칫하느냐. 다 털고 가자", "마음을 비우고 통 크게 가자"는 입장을 고수했다는 후문이다.

"음식을 많이 담을 수 있는 것은 큰 그릇이 아니라 빈 그릇"이라는  `빈그릇론'의 연장선상에서 대승적 양보를 통해 그동안 수세에 처했던 단일화 국면의 주도권 회복도 노린 것으로 보인다.

문 후보가 인적쇄신과 단일화 방식 위임으로 배수진을 친 데는 무엇보다 시간이 부족하다는 절박함이 깔려있다. 시간표상 후보 등록(25∼26일) 전 단일화 성사를 위 해선 여론조사 외에 선택지가 많지 않다는 현실론도 반영됐다는 분석이다.

유불리를 따지지 않는 `통큰 양보'를 통해 맏형 이미지를 부각시키는 동시에  `조속한 협상'을 얻어내면서 여론전의 우위를 확보하겠다는 전략으로 읽힌다.

우상호 공보단장은 브리핑에서 "안 후보측이 내부 논의를 통해 단일화 방식을 결정해주고 실무적 협의는 협상단 테이블을 조속히 가동, 마무리 지었으면 하는 게 공식 입장"이라고 말했다.

그는 새정치공동선언에 대해서도 "혹시 더 넣고 싶은 게 있으면 발표 이후 후보 간 협의를 통해 더 진행할 수 있다"고 덧붙였다. (연합뉴스)