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Calling the revised Election Law a partisan collusion that defies the popular demand for political reform, civic groups vowed yesterday to take legal action to amend the law further while forging ahead with their civil disobedience campaign.

"The revision is little different from the existing law, except for a few minor provisions," said a spokesman for the Citizens' Alliance for the 2000 General Elections, or CAGE.

He said that by leaving intact the most controversial clauses, which effectively ban civic groups' political activities, the three parties are attempting to block their campaigns targeting politicians "unfit" to run for office.

Other CAGE officials said they would hold public rallies calling for the "re-revision" of the Election Law and continue to pressure parties not to nominate corrupt and incompetent candidates.

"We will carry out a nationwide disobedience campaign to protest the lawmakers' actions," said Chang Won, the group's spokesman. He added that these drives would not cease until civic groups are completely free to express their position on all matters related to the election campaigns, and are permitted to hold rallies, distribute flyers, and collect signatures. Later in the day, the civic group members visited three major political parties to deliver their guidelines for the selection of candidates and to insist that the Election Law be revised again.

Despite the strong resistance of civic groups, most politicians expressed reservations about lifting all limits on civilian activities, citing legal and practical considerations.

A lawmaker for the ruling Millennium Democratic Party said that to abolish regulations governing prior electioneering would disrupt the existing legal structure, while the opposition Grand National Party said that allowing unchecked campaigns by any organization would cause greater chaos and confusion.

The conservative United Liberal Democrats, reflecting its distrust of the civic groups' activities, said that CAGE should first follow the law before asking others to do so, adding that it would ignore demands from the civic groups.

Observers said that with very little time left for further debate on the grievances pointed out by civic groups, a confrontation between politicians and civic organizations was inevitable.