ID :
122194
Sat, 05/15/2010 - 08:52
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/122194
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Candidate registration for June's local elections closes
LEAD)
(ATTN: UPDATES with final tally in paras 1, 4, 7-9)
By Yoo Cheong-mo
SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- Candidate registration for next month's local elections
was completed on Friday, with 9,942 persons filing candidacy for 3,991 posts of
governors, mayors, councilors and education chiefs, the nation's election
watchdog said.
In the June 2 elections, widely seen as a bellwether for the administration of
President Lee Myung-bak, voters will cast ballots to pick 16 metropolitan mayors
and provincial governors, as well as 228 heads of lower-level administrative
units like cities and counties.
Also up for grabs are posts of 761 metropolitan and provincial councilors, 2,888
in city, county and municipal district councils, 16 educational superintendents
and 228 education board members.
The overall competition ratio was tallied at 2.5 to 1, a sharp decline from the
3.2 to 1 recorded in the previous nationwide local elections held in 2006,
according to the National Election Commission (NEC).
The results of the elections, the first to be held nationwide since President Lee
took office slightly over two years ago, are expected to serve as a crucial
litmus test of public sentiment toward the conservative government and a prelude
to parliamentary and presidential elections, both slated for 2012.
The polls are also expected to help reshape the power structures of the ruling
Grand National Party (GNP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP),
according to political watchers.
The NEC said the competition ratio for 16 metropolitan mayors and provincial
governors stood at 3.63 to 1, as 58 candidates were registered during the two-day
registration period. The competition ratio for heads of cities, counties and
municipal districts was tallied at 3.42 to 1, with 780 candidates registered.
The ratio for provincial and city councilors stood at 2.4 to 1, while the
competition for education superintendents reached 5.1 to 1, it noted.
By party, the GNP fielded 3,113 candidates, compared with 2,198 DP candidates.
Women accounted for 12 percent, or 1,635, of all candidates, while 12.6 percent,
or 1,195 candidates, were found to have criminal records ranging from minor
traffic violations to assaults. The average personal wealth reported by the
candidates was 654 million won (about US$594,000). Official campaigning will
start May 20 and run for 13 days. Absentee voting will be conducted from May
27-28.
Leading political parties, like the GNP and DP, are expected to concentrate their
resources on the elections for metropolitan mayors and provincial governors.
Interestingly, the June 2 polls are expected to set the stage for a fierce fight
between supporters of President Lee and former President Roh Moo-hyun, one of the
symbolic leaders representing the nation's liberal political forces. Roh's
followers have been registered as leading opposition candidates in nine of the 16
fiercely contested metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial posts.
The Seoul mayoral race has boiled down to a duel between incumbent Mayor Oh
Se-hoon and Han Myeong-sook, who served as prime minister during the
administration of Roh. Roh committed suicide in May 2009 during an investigation
into graft charges, while his supporters claim it was a politically motivated
probe.
Han was only recently acquitted of bribery charges herself, following a probe
that also raised criticism about political intervention.
Rhyu Si-min, one of the late Roh's closest confidants, has been selected to run
for governor of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, against incumbent Kim
Moon-su of the GNP.
Lee Kwang-jae and Ahn Hee-jung, both known as having been close to Roh, are
running for governor of the Gangwon and South Chungcheong provinces,
respectively. As the first anniversary of Roh's death falls on the eve of the
June 2 elections, sympathy for the former liberal president may be an important
factor in the elections, according to political analysts.
Besides the Roh factor, other campaign issues, including the government's bid to
revise the Sejong administrative city project, the four-river restoration
project, free school lunch and the sinking of a naval ship near the sea border
with North Korea, are expected to be debated hotly during the upcoming campaign.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)
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(ATTN: UPDATES with final tally in paras 1, 4, 7-9)
By Yoo Cheong-mo
SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- Candidate registration for next month's local elections
was completed on Friday, with 9,942 persons filing candidacy for 3,991 posts of
governors, mayors, councilors and education chiefs, the nation's election
watchdog said.
In the June 2 elections, widely seen as a bellwether for the administration of
President Lee Myung-bak, voters will cast ballots to pick 16 metropolitan mayors
and provincial governors, as well as 228 heads of lower-level administrative
units like cities and counties.
Also up for grabs are posts of 761 metropolitan and provincial councilors, 2,888
in city, county and municipal district councils, 16 educational superintendents
and 228 education board members.
The overall competition ratio was tallied at 2.5 to 1, a sharp decline from the
3.2 to 1 recorded in the previous nationwide local elections held in 2006,
according to the National Election Commission (NEC).
The results of the elections, the first to be held nationwide since President Lee
took office slightly over two years ago, are expected to serve as a crucial
litmus test of public sentiment toward the conservative government and a prelude
to parliamentary and presidential elections, both slated for 2012.
The polls are also expected to help reshape the power structures of the ruling
Grand National Party (GNP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP),
according to political watchers.
The NEC said the competition ratio for 16 metropolitan mayors and provincial
governors stood at 3.63 to 1, as 58 candidates were registered during the two-day
registration period. The competition ratio for heads of cities, counties and
municipal districts was tallied at 3.42 to 1, with 780 candidates registered.
The ratio for provincial and city councilors stood at 2.4 to 1, while the
competition for education superintendents reached 5.1 to 1, it noted.
By party, the GNP fielded 3,113 candidates, compared with 2,198 DP candidates.
Women accounted for 12 percent, or 1,635, of all candidates, while 12.6 percent,
or 1,195 candidates, were found to have criminal records ranging from minor
traffic violations to assaults. The average personal wealth reported by the
candidates was 654 million won (about US$594,000). Official campaigning will
start May 20 and run for 13 days. Absentee voting will be conducted from May
27-28.
Leading political parties, like the GNP and DP, are expected to concentrate their
resources on the elections for metropolitan mayors and provincial governors.
Interestingly, the June 2 polls are expected to set the stage for a fierce fight
between supporters of President Lee and former President Roh Moo-hyun, one of the
symbolic leaders representing the nation's liberal political forces. Roh's
followers have been registered as leading opposition candidates in nine of the 16
fiercely contested metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial posts.
The Seoul mayoral race has boiled down to a duel between incumbent Mayor Oh
Se-hoon and Han Myeong-sook, who served as prime minister during the
administration of Roh. Roh committed suicide in May 2009 during an investigation
into graft charges, while his supporters claim it was a politically motivated
probe.
Han was only recently acquitted of bribery charges herself, following a probe
that also raised criticism about political intervention.
Rhyu Si-min, one of the late Roh's closest confidants, has been selected to run
for governor of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, against incumbent Kim
Moon-su of the GNP.
Lee Kwang-jae and Ahn Hee-jung, both known as having been close to Roh, are
running for governor of the Gangwon and South Chungcheong provinces,
respectively. As the first anniversary of Roh's death falls on the eve of the
June 2 elections, sympathy for the former liberal president may be an important
factor in the elections, according to political analysts.
Besides the Roh factor, other campaign issues, including the government's bid to
revise the Sejong administrative city project, the four-river restoration
project, free school lunch and the sinking of a naval ship near the sea border
with North Korea, are expected to be debated hotly during the upcoming campaign.
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)
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