(News Focus) Election defeat makes ruling party, domestic politics unpredictable

SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) - The ruling Grand National Party (GNP)'s defeat in
Wednesday's local election made its future and broader domestic politics
unpredictable as parliamentary and presidential elections are coming up next.
Confidence built by earlier survey results were shattered when the main
opposition Democratic Party, initially predicted to win only three of 16
gubernatorial and mayoral races, seized seven. The GNP stopped at six, short of
the at least seven it thought were guaranteed. The Seoul mayoral race was hardly
a victory at that, given its less than 1 percent margin of victory against the DP
rival who was believed to be trailing by double digits.
The GNP also lost many of its local council seats, and all but four of the races
for heads of Seoul's 25 autonomous districts.
GNP Chairman Chung Mong-joon was stepping down to take responsibility for the
defeat, with his presidential aspirations derailed and his political leadership
cast into doubt.
The bruised victory in the elections has jeopardized the GNP's bid to win the
2012 presidential and parliamentary races, which it needs to win in order to
retain power. Coupled with the leadership's resignation, the party faces long
days ahead with new aspirants jostling for the spotlight.
President Lee Myung-bak will need to make changes to overcome the defeat and put
his office and the ruling party back on track for the next elections amid the
resignation of his own chief of staff.
A Cabinet reshuffle, which was already underway to reprimand military leaders for
the sinking of a warship that came under North Korean attack, will likely be
expanded to give a new face to the administration.
The DP appears to be the clear winner, putting up a successful fight against the
odds. It reaffirmed that the public still trusts it to keep the Lee
administration in check, a role it needs to play well for the next set of
elections.
The challenge for the DP is whether it can unify its forces with a small splinter
bloc, the Participation Party, that has emerged from the shadow of President
Lee's predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun.
Three close confidantes of the late President Roh were elected as provincial
governors, although mostly on the DP ticket. Party affiliations are likely to
change in the coming months as the DP and the Participation Party get ready for
the 2012 elections.
sshim@yna.co.kr
(END)