South Korea's pro-government Uri Party won an overall majority in parliamentary polls here yesterday in a stunning victory for impeached President Roh Moo-hyun, according to partial returns.
The result signaled a shift to the left for South Korean politics, marking the first time in four decades that the country's parliament has been controlled by reformist legislators.
With 72 percent of the vote counted, the Uri Party, which supports Roh's reformist program, won 152 seats in the 299-seat chamber, according to TV projections based on official returns.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The conservative Grand National Party (GNP), which controlled the outgoing National Assembly with 137 seats, won 123, according to projections provided by the state-run KBS network.
The victory is expected to help Roh survive his impeachment ordeal, strengthen his drive for reconciliation with North Korea and bolster his demand for a more equal relationship with the US.
The outcome was a dramatic victory for the Uri Party, which was formed only five months ago and held just 49 seats in the outgoing chamber.
But it was less of a rout than conservatives in the GNP feared from an electorate angered at the impeachment of the president last month.
"I humbly accept whatever the results are," said GNP leader Park Geun-hye, daughter of former president Park Chung-hee, who ruled South Korea for 18 years after staging a coup in 1961.
Exit polls conducted by the three TV networks gave the Uri Party a bigger margin of victory.
"If exits polls are true, people have rescued our democracy through these elections. They have saved the president. The elections confirm the people are the owner of this country," said Uri Party leader Chung Dong-young.
The March 12 impeachment of Roh was the single key issue in the contest. Roh, though not a member of the party, said he would resign from office if it fared poorly in the polls.
The Uri Party asked the public to punish the GNP for leading the vote which was opposed by seven out of 10 South Koreans.
The Constitutional Court has 180 days to decide whether to reject or endorse impeachment, which would enforce a new presidential election within 60 days.
Reformers say a National Assembly dominated by conservatives would press the court to confirm Roh's impeachment for violating his electoral neutrality by calling for massive support for the Uri Party.
Support for the GNP, already declining because of a massive corruption scandal, plummeted after Roh's impeachment.
However, the party came back strongly in the closing days with new leader Park arguing that her party must form a check on a "radical" administration under Roh.
The Uri Party's chances were later dented by a costly gaffe by leader Chung. He offended many older, generally more conservative voters, when he said they should stay at home and rest on polling day.
Chung, a former TV anchorman, atoned by resigning as party campaign chief and launching a hunger strike.
Turnout was an asset for the Uri Party, with a provisional figure of 59.9 percent, more than two points up on the last legislative poll four years ago.
Nearly half of the country's 35 million eligible voters are in their 20s and 30s. They form the natural constituency of Roh and the liberal Uri Party, which advocates reform and change and a more independent relationship with the US.
Roh rode the youth vote to victory over GNP candidate Lee Hoi-chang in a closely contested presidential election in December 2002.
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