SEOUL, Rival parties nominated dozens of candidates on Thursday to run in the April 10 general elections, including political heavyweights, like Won Hee-ryong, a former land minister, who is forecast to compete against opposition leader Lee Jae-myung. The ruling People Power Party (PPP)'s nomination committee announced the second list of 25 candidates to run in Gyeonggi Province, the western port city of Incheon, and North Jeolla Province, without undergoing primaries with other contenders. Some of the regions are considered traditional strongholds of the liberal opposition. Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo secured the party ticket for the Bundang Ward of Seongnam, just outside Seoul, the committee said. Won was nominated to run for the Gyeyang district in Incheon. The constituency has long been the stronghold of Lee, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP). Former Industry Minister Bang Moon-kyu and Lee Soo-jung, a criminal psychology professor, were also given party tickets to run in two districts in Suwon, located just outside Seoul. In the previous parliamentary elections in 2020, the DP secured all five seats in Suwon. Rep. Choi Young-hee, meanwhile, was excluded from the party nomination, marking the first sitting lawmaker to be screened out in accordance with the party's "cut off" system. The DP also announced the list of 10 candidates without undergoing primaries with other contenders, including Rep. Hong Ik-pyo, its floor leader, for Seoul's Seocho Ward and Rep. Ko Min-jung for Seoul's Gwangjin Ward. Additionally, the party's committee unveiled the list of candidates for 14 constituencies that will require primaries with other contenders. Source: Yonhap News Agency