Seoul, April 22 (IANS) South Korea’s People Power Party (PPP) was set to shortlist four contenders on Tuesday for the June presidential election, as part of the first round of its primary process based on public polling.
The results will be determined using surveys conducted by five polling agencies from Monday to Tuesday, covering a combined total of 4,000 respondents. The party’s election commission will announce the top four contenders around 7 p.m.
In the second round, two candidates will be selected through a process that equally combines party member votes and public opinion polling. The party will confirm its candidate on May 3.
According to a Realmetre poll released early this week, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the Democratic Party (DP), kept a strong lead with 50.2 per cent support.
Trailing Lee was former Labour Minister Kim Moon-soo, who joined the PPP, with 12.2 per cent. Former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon received 8.5 per cent and former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo garnered 7.5 per cent, followed by PPP Rep. Na Kyung-won at 2 per cent, according to the poll.
The election will be held on June 3 after former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was ousted on April 4 over his failed martial law bid.
While the conservative contenders have intensified political attacks against the former DP leader Lee, the PPP seemed to be perplexed by Lee’s strong lead in opinion polls.
Last week, a plan to create a new political party in support of Yoon was put on hold.
Rep. Lee Yang-soo of the PPP told SBS radio that such a plan would have a negative impact on the party in the face of the presidential election, Yonhap news agency reported.
Meanwhile, candidates will be required to register by May 11 and the official campaign period will kick off on May 12.
The law also requires a public servant running for President to resign at least 30 days before an election, making May 4 the deadline.
The new President will assume office immediately after the election without a transition team.
When former President Park Geun-hye was removed from office on March 10, 2017, the early election was also held exactly 60 days later, on May 9.
Meanwhile, Yoon, who dramatically rose from a top prosecutor to the presidency in about three years, became the nation’s second President to be formally removed from office, with his surprise martial law bid rattling the nation for months and deepening political polarisation.
With the ruling, Yoon, 64, follows in the footsteps of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who was ousted in 2017 when the Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment over a corruption scandal.
–IANS
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