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The S. Korean 'left' is - once again - trying to combine their forces to fight back the conservatives' advance and the planned foundation of a so-called "New Popular Progressive Party"(새진보정당) is the latest whack to create a unified organisation...

  
Yesterday's Hankyoreh reported about the actual state of affairs:

NPP-DLP merger thwarted by independence wing

 
Though NPP members remain divided, labor union and civic organization members have urged the parties to merge

The brakes have been thrown on the movement toward a progressive political party merger. At a New Progressive Party (NPP) regular party convention at the National Assembly Visitor Center on Mar. 27, delegates passed a “2011 motion to modify the comprehensive plan of action” submitted by an independent wing that is against a merger with the Democratic Labor Party (DLP).

The passed revision includes two important clauses. One states, “The New Progressive Party opposes North Korea’s nuclear development and dynastic succession,” which was changed from the sentence that reads, “The New Progressive Party adheres to its critical view of North Korea’s nuclear development and dynastic succession.” The other clause was, “To build a progressive political party with factions in agreement if the new progressive political party is not formed until Sept. 2011.”

The two clauses are expected to be difficult for the DLP to accept. As a result, observers said the convention was a complete victory by the independent wing in response to the proposed merger. The independent wing seemed to prevail, having a 6 to 4 ratio of support.

There has been a fierce war of nerves waged within the New Progressive Party between the independence and merger wings as well as neutralists regarding the merger discussions. At last month’s national committee meeting, the independence wing made up 45 percent of the party, 35 percent were in favor of merging with the DLP, and 20 percent were neutral. There were also complex signs of conflict within the merger wing between those who favor a grand merger involving the People’s Participation Party (PPP) and parts of the Democratic Party, and those who favor a smaller merger involving just the DLP and the Socialist Party. Some are calling for a merger with the Socialist Party to pursue an independent line if the merger with the DLP does not work out.

Of the current and former party leaders, former NPP Chairwoman Shim Sang-jung supports a grand merger with the People’s Participation Party, while Cho and former Chairman Roh Hoe-chan reportedly support a smaller merger. Roh is a likely candidate to chair the party committee to push the merger.

The move was also considered a major blow to the New Progressive Party (NPP) leadership, who have become supportive of a merger as rising pressure from labor groups and civic society has also urged the two parties to merge.

NPP leader Cho Seung-soo, who has been considered part of the “independent party” wing, said in a letter sent before the convention, “The NPP has failed to reconstitute progressivism, the idea advocated when the party was founded.” Calling for active efforts to unify with the DLP, Cho said, “If the discussion regarding the founding of a new progressive political party cannot be brought to a conclusion now, there is a high possibility that the NPP could find itself caught in a state of severe powerlessness.”

Cho reportedly confirmed a consensus for merging during a recent closed-door meeting with DLP Chairwoman Lee Jung-hee. Deputy Chair Yoon Nan-sil, who was also counted with the “independent party” wing, has also changed position and is accelerating her pro-merger political activities.

A variable is external political movements, however. “Civic Society for the Welfare State and a Broad Progressive Merger,” made up of figures from civic organizations and academia, and recently even labor figures have been making louder calls for merger. Five former heads of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), including Kwon Yong-kil, Dan Byung-ho, Lee Su-ho, Cho Jun-ho and Lim Sung-kyu released a statement on Mar. 21 saying there was a need for a unified term that would make clear the goal of building a new progressive political party that seeks quantitative and qualitative progress, rather than the term “grand progressive merger,” which highlights only the quantitative increase. The former union heads said they would work to build a new progressive party. Within the KCTU, individual trade unions are reportedly preparing a declaration seeking membership as preliminary members of the new progressive political party. 　

In order to remove barriers to a merger, the DLP has also displayed some humility. One such example was the way in which the DLP leadership, including Chairwoman Lee, Supreme Council member Kim Sung-jin and Ulsan chapter branch head Kim Chang-hyeon, reflected openly through official party meetings and debate statements upon hegemony within the party, the past reason for the division of the party.

Kim said at a debate put on by the DLP’s New Community Institute, “I regretfully acknowledge that monopolization of party power through collusion was a fundamental reason for the split.”

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/470239.html

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