Park distances herself from party

Former Grand National Party Chairwoman Park Geun-hye distanced herself further from the party leadership during a press conference Saturday, ruling out the possibility of positioning one of her close aides as the party`s next floor leader.

"I have nothing to add on the issue (of picking the new GNP floor leader) because I have already expressed my stance," Park told reporters in San Francisco.

"It is nonsense to say the GNP isn`t functioning or the ruling party failed to take any seats during the April by-elections because of lawmakers loyal to me," Park said.

She said the ongoing intra-party disputes had always existed, mentioning that there were factions within the party even when she was the GNP`s chairwoman (in 2004-2006).

She also reaffirmed her stance to abide by the party`s constitution and regulations involving the ruling party`s floor leader election.

"The party must follow the principles whichever type of election it is. If it doesn`t, it could not be called a political party," she said. Park, who is on a U.S. visit, will be returning home today.

Last week, a plan to pick Kim Moo-sung, one of Park`s close aides, as the GNP`s next floor leader was being unveiled as the ruling party worked to end its factional strife and restructure its leadership in the aftermath of the party`s humiliating defeat in last month`s by-elections.

After the party`s former chairwoman confirmed her objection to choosing Kim as its new floor leader using such invalid methods, GNP Chairman Park Hee-tae immediately sent his chief secretary to San Francisco to offer a clear explanation to Rep. Park Geun-hye on the GNP leadership`s stance regarding the floor leader election.

Park Geun-hye, however, gave a "final notice" to the chief secretary, telling him there was no change in her position.

Observers say that behind Park`s objection to the offer is her suspicion that the current GNP leadership may be attempting to mend fences with the pro-Park faction just to find a way out from their predicament following the defeat in the latest round of by-elections.

As the ruling party`s leadership is striving again to find a different solution to the problem, Kim, who had been highly potential floor leader candidate, took off for Turkey yesterday as a member of the National Defense Committee at the National Assembly.

Kim explained that his decision to take the trip meant he was not running to become party`s floor leader.

The GNP will elect its new floor leader by May 21 and the potential candidates for the No.2 position, who will replace Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, are Ahn Sang-soo, Chung Eui-hwa and Hwang Woo-yea.

By Cho Ji-hyun

(sharon@heraldm.com)