Parties have varied calculations on impeachment

The political parties are taking different stances on impeaching President Park Geun-hye because the issue is closely linked to their chances of winning the next presidential election.

The three opposition parties — the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the People’s Party and the Justice Party — have jointly pushed the impeachment motion against the scandal-plagued President to put it to a vote.

But the People’s Party has a different view from the other two on when this should take place.

The main opposition DPK and the Justice Party have insisted on voting at a plenary session today, citing that the regular National Assembly session this year ends Dec. 9 and it will be too risky to delay the motion.

The two parties claimed it was therefore critical to issue the joint motion, Thursday, to implement their plan.

However, the People’s Party raised an objection to this plan, although it once supported the idea.

The party’s floor spokesman Rep. Lee Yong-ho said voting should take place Dec. 9, claiming that it was necessary to listen to anti-Park members of the ruling Saenuri Party first.

Those members are the key for the possible success of the impeachment motion as it requires endorsement from two-thirds of the 300-member National Assembly. The three opposition parties only occupy 167 parliamentary seats combined.

At least 40 minor factional lawmakers of the ruling party support Park’s impeachment.

They still maintain the view that they will only j oin the impeachment if the ruling and opposition parties hold a dia- logue over Park’s fate but fail to reach an agreement by Dec. 7.

The possible dialogue will come in line with the President’s offer, Tuesday, to step down if the National Assembly arranges the details for the transfer of power.

Park loyalists in the Saenuri Party understand that the President cannot stay in office until her presidency ends in February 2018.

But they are against impeachment and have been trying to convince the anti-Park faction not to endorse the opposition bloc’s motion.

On Thursday, the party unanimously agreed on helping Park to step down in April and to hold an early presidential election in June.

However, Moon Jae-in, a presidential hopeful from the DPK, is calling for Park’s immediate impeachment.

This is because Moon leads in polls on potential presidential candidates and has the highest chance of becoming the next president if the election takes places at the earliest date possible.

The People’s Party’s former co-leader Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo also called for the impeachment motion to be voted on by today. He too is a presidential hopeful.

During a meeting with DPK Chairwoman Rep. Choo Mi-ae, Thursday, Rep. Kim Moo-sung, a central figure among the Saenuri Party’s minor factions, said that impeachment will be unnecessary if the President agrees to quit by April.

However, other defiant Saenuri lawmakers said they can collaborate with opposition parties to impeach the President if she fails to clarify the date of resignation.

Choo said January will be the deadline for Park to leave Cheong Wa Dae.