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SEOUL: South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun quit the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) yesterday ahead of April's parliamentary elections.

The decision was widely expected after 37 lawmakers considered allies of Roh broke away from the party earlier this month and launched a new political group.

Roh did not want his party membership to become a political issue and wants to focus on state affairs, presidential spokesman Yoon Tai-young said.

Roh didn't say whether he would join the new political group, Yoon said.

Roh won last December's presidential election as a candidate of the MDP, which was founded by his predecessor, Kim Dae-jung. Since his election, however, the MDP has been plagued by factional disputes over how to reform the scandal-ridden party ahead of the elections.

Although the party has produced two consecutive presidents, it has never held a majority in the 272-seat National Assembly. This is partly because much of its support base was limited to the country's southwestern Honam region, Kim's political home turf.

South Korea holds a parliamentary election in April and next year's government budget draft bill needs to be approved by National Assembly before the end of this year.

Roh wants to launch a new nationally-based political party that would appeal to young and liberal voters across the regional divide. Roh's allies had first called for a "generational change" in the MDP leadership. But many party members, some of them close allies of former President Kim, opposed the idea, accusing a faction close to Roh of trying to take over party control.

The conservative Grand National Party has a 149-seat majority in the one-house parliament. With 37 lawmakers gone, the MDP now only has 64 seats. The small opposition United Liberal Democrats and independent lawmakers hold the remaining seats.

Agencies via Xinhua

(China Daily 09/30/2003 page1)