Sendo
11th January 2010, 11:43
In the face of an ersatz Bush president in South Korea (who ran on an economic prosperity platform, but has failed on that, won't distribute regional growth, and is spending loads of money on the infamous "4 Rivers Project"[read:canal]), the left of center parties of the Democratic Labor Party and the New Progressive Party may merge and plans to form an electoral popular front against Grand National Party President, Myung-bak Lee or 이명박 or 2MB (a pun on his surname and the number 2, as in a 2MB computer). Maybe you've seen photos from Korea of "2MB OUT!" or "조선일보 OUT!" (the "Fox News" paper for South Korea).
The main stumbling blocks to a merger are the DLP's "deferent" attitude towards North Korea, but the common ground is opposition to so-called labor flexibility and opposition to the KOR-USA Free Trade Agreement. Hopefully, they can unite, because NK is so fucking irrelevant and forming a "policy" towards them is not a priority at all. It's quite presumptuous.
2MB is so corporatist that the former GNP head and daughter of Chung-hee Park, Geun-hye Park, is speaking out against his plans to turn the (second capital/regional development example/green city) "Sejong City" into a corporate free-for-all with baement prices on the property.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/398192.html
DLP and NPP Merger Prior to South Korea’s Local Elections in Question
As plans to form an anti-MB alliance to defeat the GNP in the June elections move forward, some question whether a shared policy platform is possible
Discussion on the possibility of reuniting the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) and New Progressive Party (NPP) into a single progressive party has been heating up amid emerging talk of solidarity among opposition parties for the June 2 local elections. The DLP is calling for the establishment of an “anti-MB alliance,” (anti-President Lee Myung-bak) which would also include the Democratic Party once principles for a progressive party merger prior to the local elections have been established. The NPP response has been less enthusiastic as members suggest discussions on the merger could happen following the local elections results led by a “progressive grand alliance” comprised of opposition lawmakers and civic organizations who have come to an agreement on a platform of progressive policies.
At a DLP central committee meeting Sunday, the party unanimously passed a motion to pursue a grand merger of progressive politics centered on merging with the NPP. It intends to form a committee on the progressive party merger at the DLP’s supreme council, after which it would draft a merger agreement between it and the NPP, issue a declaration to the public, form an alliance prior to the local elections and launch the merged party by the 2012 presidential elections. DLP Chairman Kang Ki-kab is scheduled to announce this plan at a New Year’s press conference scheduled for Wednesday, after which he is to visit the NPP within the month to create a formal proposal.
At the Sunday meeting Kang said, “We have arrived at the historical moment that requires us to make a determination about forging together a grand progressive merger in anticipation of the local elections.” While there is still some negative sentiment within the party regarding the NPP, which split off from the party over a dispute about the DLP’s “deference to North Korea,” the DLP said the prevailing view was that they should show themselves willing to reunite with the NPP and work together on the local elections. The DLP is also commenting on the need for an anti-MB election alliance that would goes beyond a progressive alliance that leaves out the Democratic Party, and is actively participating in discussions on “5 plus 4 Solidarity” that would involve five opposition parties and four civil society organizations.
The NPP expressed sympathies with the idea of solidarity among progressives for the local elections, but emphasized the need to move slowly on a party merger. A core NPP official explained, “Almost 60 percent of all NPP members joined after the party was inaugurated.” The official added, “They sense a major difference between the two parties, not only because of concerns about the DLP’s past hegemonic party management system and issues such as the DLP’s attitude toward North Korea that arose during the parties’ split, but also because of the DLP’s line on key issues.” The official also said, “It is impossible to just ignore these differences and take a merge before the local elections as a given.”
The NPP also indicated that it would be difficult to join an anti-MB election alliance with the Democratic Party without first coming to any agreement on policy positions. NPP Spokesperson Kim Jong-chul said the NPP’s chairperson plans to announce an eight-point joint policy platform at a New Year’s press conference scheduled for Thursday, which includes efforts to block the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KOR-US FTA), opposition to labor flexibility, and standardization of high school and university education.
Meanwhile, there is some within the party that are bothered by external views that the NPP is lukewarm on opposition party solidarity and the idea of merging with the DLP. Spokesperson Kim Jong-chul said, “If the public is concerned that the differences between the NPP, the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, or the Democratic Party are getting watered down due to a climate where being ‘anti-MB’ is seen as important, then it is important that a joint policy line be agreed upon for the sake of solidarity.”
The main stumbling blocks to a merger are the DLP's "deferent" attitude towards North Korea, but the common ground is opposition to so-called labor flexibility and opposition to the KOR-USA Free Trade Agreement. Hopefully, they can unite, because NK is so fucking irrelevant and forming a "policy" towards them is not a priority at all. It's quite presumptuous.
2MB is so corporatist that the former GNP head and daughter of Chung-hee Park, Geun-hye Park, is speaking out against his plans to turn the (second capital/regional development example/green city) "Sejong City" into a corporate free-for-all with baement prices on the property.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/398192.html
DLP and NPP Merger Prior to South Korea’s Local Elections in Question
As plans to form an anti-MB alliance to defeat the GNP in the June elections move forward, some question whether a shared policy platform is possible
Discussion on the possibility of reuniting the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) and New Progressive Party (NPP) into a single progressive party has been heating up amid emerging talk of solidarity among opposition parties for the June 2 local elections. The DLP is calling for the establishment of an “anti-MB alliance,” (anti-President Lee Myung-bak) which would also include the Democratic Party once principles for a progressive party merger prior to the local elections have been established. The NPP response has been less enthusiastic as members suggest discussions on the merger could happen following the local elections results led by a “progressive grand alliance” comprised of opposition lawmakers and civic organizations who have come to an agreement on a platform of progressive policies.
At a DLP central committee meeting Sunday, the party unanimously passed a motion to pursue a grand merger of progressive politics centered on merging with the NPP. It intends to form a committee on the progressive party merger at the DLP’s supreme council, after which it would draft a merger agreement between it and the NPP, issue a declaration to the public, form an alliance prior to the local elections and launch the merged party by the 2012 presidential elections. DLP Chairman Kang Ki-kab is scheduled to announce this plan at a New Year’s press conference scheduled for Wednesday, after which he is to visit the NPP within the month to create a formal proposal.
At the Sunday meeting Kang said, “We have arrived at the historical moment that requires us to make a determination about forging together a grand progressive merger in anticipation of the local elections.” While there is still some negative sentiment within the party regarding the NPP, which split off from the party over a dispute about the DLP’s “deference to North Korea,” the DLP said the prevailing view was that they should show themselves willing to reunite with the NPP and work together on the local elections. The DLP is also commenting on the need for an anti-MB election alliance that would goes beyond a progressive alliance that leaves out the Democratic Party, and is actively participating in discussions on “5 plus 4 Solidarity” that would involve five opposition parties and four civil society organizations.
The NPP expressed sympathies with the idea of solidarity among progressives for the local elections, but emphasized the need to move slowly on a party merger. A core NPP official explained, “Almost 60 percent of all NPP members joined after the party was inaugurated.” The official added, “They sense a major difference between the two parties, not only because of concerns about the DLP’s past hegemonic party management system and issues such as the DLP’s attitude toward North Korea that arose during the parties’ split, but also because of the DLP’s line on key issues.” The official also said, “It is impossible to just ignore these differences and take a merge before the local elections as a given.”
The NPP also indicated that it would be difficult to join an anti-MB election alliance with the Democratic Party without first coming to any agreement on policy positions. NPP Spokesperson Kim Jong-chul said the NPP’s chairperson plans to announce an eight-point joint policy platform at a New Year’s press conference scheduled for Thursday, which includes efforts to block the South Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KOR-US FTA), opposition to labor flexibility, and standardization of high school and university education.
Meanwhile, there is some within the party that are bothered by external views that the NPP is lukewarm on opposition party solidarity and the idea of merging with the DLP. Spokesperson Kim Jong-chul said, “If the public is concerned that the differences between the NPP, the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, or the Democratic Party are getting watered down due to a climate where being ‘anti-MB’ is seen as important, then it is important that a joint policy line be agreed upon for the sake of solidarity.”