Ruling party wants Park’s resignation by end of April
Lawmakers of the ruling Saenuri Party unanimously agreed Thursday to push for President Park Geun-hye’s voluntary resignation by the end of April and an early presidential election in June. The move overshadowed the opposition bloc’s attempt to impeach the scandal-ridden President.
The opposition parties initially planned an impeachment vote against Park, Friday, in cooperation with a group of anti-Park members of the ruling party, who had also vowed to vote for impeachment. However, the group retracted their earlier position after the President asked political parties Tuesday to decide on when she should step down.
The unanimous agreement by the Saenuri Party lawmakers virtually means that the opposition’s move to impeach the President has failed because the anti-Park members hold the key to the passage of the impeachment motion.
However, the group left open the possibility of joining forces with the opposition, saying that if Park fails to clarify when she will resign next week, they will support impeaching her.
Park’s term is scheduled to end in February 2018 and the next presidential election is currently scheduled for December 2017.
If the opposition put the impeachment motion to a vote, at least 28 ruling party lawmakers would have to vote in favor for its passage.
Park called on the National Assembly Tuesday to determine the details regarding her resignation during her third nationally televised speech since the scandal broke in late October. The speech was delivered at a time when there had seemed to be a great possibility for the impeachment motion to be passed as the anti-Park lawmakers had vowed to vote with the opposition.
Saenuri Party floor leader Rep. Chung Jin-suk said the party’s decision was made as it assessed that a proposal from former National Assembly speakers and other retired politicians, made Sunday, was meaningful. At the time, the elderly politicians called on Park to announce her decision to voluntarily step down at the earliest possible date and leave office by April at the latest to minimize any chaos and a vacuum in state affairs.
“For the stable transition of power and for the securing of a preparatory period for the next presidential election, all members of the ruling party unanimously made a decision,” Chung told reporters after the meet- ing. “The fact that the party made its official stance on the issue is meaningful in that we have removed uncertainty involving the political road map that is very important to the people.”
He then called on the opposition parties to sincerely respond to the ruling camp’s decision and come to the negotiation table to discuss the issue. Chung added that the party did not discuss the impeachment motion in the meeting.
The ruling and opposition parties are from now on expected to be engaged in fierce debate on whether to impeach Park or whether to give her some time and let her step down voluntarily.
Since the President left her fate up to the Assembly, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and the second largest opposition People’s Party have voiced different views on when to push for an impeachment vote.
The ruling party lawmakers who are not affiliated with the President hold the key to passing the impeachment motion.
Park has been accused of colluding with her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil in the corruption and influence-peddling scandal. Choi was indicted Nov. 20 for allegedly interfering in state affairs and extorting local conglomerates to accumulate wealth for herself.
A group of lawmakers from the ruling Saenuri Party called on President Park Geun-hye, Thursday, to clarify when she will step down as her ambiguity over the timing of her resignation is fueling chaos in the political circle.
Their request came after Park said Tuesday she will let the National Assembly decide on the timing of her resignation, triggering criticism from the opposition parties that this was a plot to obstruct their move to impeach the scandal-ridden leader.
The anti-Park lawmakers, who have been at odds with the pro-Park faction controlling the ruling party, hold the key to the passage of an impeachment motion against the President, if put to a vote by the opposition bloc.
They said the proper timing for Park’s resignation would be around April 30 next year, and, in that case, the presidential election, which is originally scheduled for December next year, should be rescheduled to as early as June.
“We think the appropriate time is April 30,” Rep. Hwang Young-cheul told reporters after a meeting with the lawmakers at the Assembly. “We urge Park to promptly clarify her position about our proposal.”
Cheong Wa Dae refused to give a direct answer.
“We hope the National Assembly will swiftly hold discussions (on the timetable and procedures for Park’s resignation),” presidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk said.
When asked about reports that Park is considering resigning April 30, Jung said no certain time has yet been considered.
Despite Park’s call for the political parties to determine her fate, the opposition parties have dug in their heels, vowing to close ranks and push for Park’s impeachment. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea refused to hold any negotiation about the timing of Park’s resignation, saying what the public wants is her immediate resignation with no conditions attached.
The ruling party’s anti-Park bloc was initially in favor of impeachment; but since her speech, they have appeared to be leaning towards early resignation to pave the way for a stable government transition.
Stressing that their earlier promise to cooperate with the opposition parties remains unchanged, the lawmakers also urged the opposition camp to hold talks to discuss the timing of Park’s resignation.
“As Park expressed her will to leave office even before the end of her term, the National Assembly should actively discuss the issue,” Hwang said. “The opposition parties’ refusal to have such a discussion is just arrogance as they are neglecting their duty as political parties.”
He said the opposition parties should cooperate in producing the optimal result for a stable transition of government.
The latest calls from the anti-Park lawmakers are in line with concerns that it might take a considerable time to impeach the President. Even after the impeachment proposal is passed by the Assembly, the Constitutional Court needs to deliberate it for up to six months. The President can only be stripped of her powers when the top court concurs that she committed a crime that makes her unfit to serve.
The high-profile political scandal, which was brought to the fore in late October, has left Park’s leadership in tatters — her approval rating fell to a record-low 4 percent in a Gallup Korea survey last week.
The prosecution has named Park as a prime suspect in the scandal, in which her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil was indicted Nov. 20 for allegedly interfering in state affairs and extorting local conglomerates to accumulate wealth for herself.