President Park prepares for impeachment
President, Saenuri leadership discuss resignation plan just ahead of impeachment vote
By Korea HeraldPublished : Dec. 6, 2016 - 16:35
President Park Geun-hye hinted in a meeting with Saenuri leaders Tuesday on her departure from office, that she would face impeachment.
Chung Jin-suk, floor leader of the ruling Saenrui Party said at Cheong Wa Dae in the afternoon that the president had not explicitly said that she would step down in April, instead indicating that she would face impeachment “according to legal procedure.”
Chung Jin-suk, floor leader of the ruling Saenrui Party said at Cheong Wa Dae in the afternoon that the president had not explicitly said that she would step down in April, instead indicating that she would face impeachment “according to legal procedure.”
The meeting came three days before the National Assembly vote on an impeachment bill which, if passed, will immediately suspend her presidential power.
It also replaced the expected public address which the president was said to be contemplating in an 11th-hour attempt to unbrace the inexorable impeachment action.
Their encounter came amid mounting momentum on the opposition-led impeachment plan, with a group of Saenuri nonmainstreamers vowing to support the impeachment bill.
On Monday, two days after the sixth and largest candlelight anti-Park rally swept across the nation, those who do not align themselves with the president said they would support impeachment, ditching their earlier stance to allow the feud-ridden state chief a self-directed resignation.
The meeting was largely seen as part of last-minute attempts to coax the relatively moderate members of the non-Park group -- who have hinted at backing away from the impeachment plan -- once Park gestures at stepping down voluntarily. Such figures include former party chief Rep. Kim Moo-sung.
But other more outspoken nonmainstreamers have recently made it clear that they will not ease down on forcefully driving out the scandal-ridden president.
“We have decided that the only way to solve the current crisis is to go ahead with the impeachment procedure,” said Rep. Hwang Young-cheul, speaking for the emergency council meeting, an in-party group of nonmainstreamers.
He thus reiterated that the non-Park members would continue to uphold the impeachment bill, whether or not Park offers to resign by April.
“The people have made it clear that the president’s (self-directed) withdrawal from power is not an acceptable solution,” the lawmaker said.
Rep. Hwang had claimed in a radio interview earlier in the morning that 35 non-Park lawmakers had explicitly expressed their approval of the impeachment bill and that three or more unexposed members from the pro-presidential group may also cast their ballot in Friday’s vote.
“We are making sincere efforts to have the impeachment bill voted through and are ready to prove it to the people, if necessary,” he said, alluding that the anti-Park cluster may possibly go public with the names of those backing impeachment.
The Saenuri’s anti-Park cluster, comprising of some 40 members, is likely to complete the necessary two-thirds quorum to pass the impeachment bill in the 300-seat Assembly. The number of opposition and liberal-leaning independent lawmakers currently stands at 172, falling 28 short of the 200 mark.
While adding fuel to the impeachment action, however, the Saenuri minority faction also protested against mounting political pressure from the opposition, referring to the daily candlelight rallies held this week on the National Assembly yard.
“I hope that the rights of our lawmakers (to freely vote on the impeachment bill) as individual constitutional organs are not hindered by illegitimate means,” Hwang said.
Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, another non-Park figure, blasted upon Moon Jae-in, former chairman and presidential frontrunner of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea.
“Moon and his aides are imposing pressure upon the lawmakers’ decision-making and instigating the public,” the third-term lawmaker said.
“They should realize that such actions are of no help to the nation’s democracy.”
In spite of such complaints, opposition parties kept up their firm stance on impeachment, leaving no room for the president’s voluntary resignation.
“Ninety-five percent of the people are demanding the president’s immediate ouster,” said the main opposition DPK chief Rep. Choo Mi-ae at a trilateral meeting of opposition leaders.
“The opinion of Cheong Wa Dae or the Saenuri may not precede that of the entire nation.”
By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)
It also replaced the expected public address which the president was said to be contemplating in an 11th-hour attempt to unbrace the inexorable impeachment action.
Their encounter came amid mounting momentum on the opposition-led impeachment plan, with a group of Saenuri nonmainstreamers vowing to support the impeachment bill.
On Monday, two days after the sixth and largest candlelight anti-Park rally swept across the nation, those who do not align themselves with the president said they would support impeachment, ditching their earlier stance to allow the feud-ridden state chief a self-directed resignation.
The meeting was largely seen as part of last-minute attempts to coax the relatively moderate members of the non-Park group -- who have hinted at backing away from the impeachment plan -- once Park gestures at stepping down voluntarily. Such figures include former party chief Rep. Kim Moo-sung.
But other more outspoken nonmainstreamers have recently made it clear that they will not ease down on forcefully driving out the scandal-ridden president.
“We have decided that the only way to solve the current crisis is to go ahead with the impeachment procedure,” said Rep. Hwang Young-cheul, speaking for the emergency council meeting, an in-party group of nonmainstreamers.
He thus reiterated that the non-Park members would continue to uphold the impeachment bill, whether or not Park offers to resign by April.
“The people have made it clear that the president’s (self-directed) withdrawal from power is not an acceptable solution,” the lawmaker said.
Rep. Hwang had claimed in a radio interview earlier in the morning that 35 non-Park lawmakers had explicitly expressed their approval of the impeachment bill and that three or more unexposed members from the pro-presidential group may also cast their ballot in Friday’s vote.
“We are making sincere efforts to have the impeachment bill voted through and are ready to prove it to the people, if necessary,” he said, alluding that the anti-Park cluster may possibly go public with the names of those backing impeachment.
The Saenuri’s anti-Park cluster, comprising of some 40 members, is likely to complete the necessary two-thirds quorum to pass the impeachment bill in the 300-seat Assembly. The number of opposition and liberal-leaning independent lawmakers currently stands at 172, falling 28 short of the 200 mark.
While adding fuel to the impeachment action, however, the Saenuri minority faction also protested against mounting political pressure from the opposition, referring to the daily candlelight rallies held this week on the National Assembly yard.
“I hope that the rights of our lawmakers (to freely vote on the impeachment bill) as individual constitutional organs are not hindered by illegitimate means,” Hwang said.
Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, another non-Park figure, blasted upon Moon Jae-in, former chairman and presidential frontrunner of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea.
“Moon and his aides are imposing pressure upon the lawmakers’ decision-making and instigating the public,” the third-term lawmaker said.
“They should realize that such actions are of no help to the nation’s democracy.”
In spite of such complaints, opposition parties kept up their firm stance on impeachment, leaving no room for the president’s voluntary resignation.
“Ninety-five percent of the people are demanding the president’s immediate ouster,” said the main opposition DPK chief Rep. Choo Mi-ae at a trilateral meeting of opposition leaders.
“The opinion of Cheong Wa Dae or the Saenuri may not precede that of the entire nation.”
By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)
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Articles by Korea Herald