Late Roh's aides plan to launch new party next year

CHANGWON, South Korea, Nov. 20 -- A former spokesman for the late President Roh
Moo-hyun said Roh's confidants will launch a new progressive party in January to
join the local elections.

"We plan to launch the (provisionally named) People's Participatory Party on Jan.
17 and field candidates for heads of 16 larger city and provincial governments in
local elections set for June," Cheon Ho-sun told reporters at an event in
Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, while opening an office to prepare for the
launch of the new party.
Cheon said the envisioned party will be more progressive than the main opposition
Democratic Party, and will work with forces against the conservative ruling Grand
National Party and the Lee Myung-bak government.
He also did not rule out the possibility of solidarity with other political
parties, saying, "Any solidarity should be for the sake of a victory in
elections, and solidarity for solidarity is of no meaning."
(END)