Democratic Party intensifies demand for independent probe into NIS scandal
The ruling-opposition party discord is escalating to a new high, threatening to once again bring the National Assembly to a halt.
Disgruntled by the developments surrounding the alleged election interference by government agencies, the main opposition Democratic Party is calling for an investigation by an independent counsel.
“The only solution left is a special counsel, the political neutrality and fairness of which is guaranteed,” DP chairman Rep. Kim Han-gil said at a rally on Saturday.
“Special counsel is the only way to recover the public’s trust. Having promised to uncover the truth, President Park Geun-hye must not oppose (launching) a special counsel investigation.”
Since last year’s presidential election, the DP has been pressuring the government over the alleged election interference by the National Intelligence Service but has achieved little.
The investigation by the prosecution has so far achieved little other than generating more allegations and accusations against the government and high-level prosecutors. The DP has also failed to gain much leverage in connection to the issue through a parliamentary audit, despite turning up evidence that suggests politically biased actions taken by the government and military agencies in the run up to the Dec. 19 election.
Kim also called for the establishment of a special parliamentary committee on reforming the NIS, to allow the political parties to move on to budget review and issues concerning “people’s livelihoods.”
Independent Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, who first suggested a special counsel investigation, welcomed the DP’s move while keeping a safe distance from the more drastic measures the DP is likely to take.
“This issue will continue to be a seed of discord unless it is resolved by a special counsel investigation,” Ahn’s office said in a statement.
“However, (Ahn) opposes delaying parliamentary procedures and linking (the issue) to the government budget plans in order to launch the investigation.”
Although the DP packed up its “tent headquarters” in central Seoul, the party is not abandoning its two-pronged strategy of resisting the ruling party and the government within and outside the parliament. Since August, the DP had been operating a campaign to “revive democracy” out of a tent in central Seoul.
However, far from being a step for resuming normal operations, the tent has been removed to make way for a new street campaign that will be orchestrated by the “pan progressive alliance.” The alliance, which includes religious and non-governmental groups as well as the DP and the minor opposition Progressive Justice Party, will begin operations Tuesday.
Aside from the feud over election-related issues, the DP and the ruling Saenuri Party are likely to lock horns during the confirmation hearings for key government officials including the nominee for prosecutor general, Kim Jin-tae.
Kim was nominated for the post after Chae Dong-wook stepped down amid controversial circumstances, which the DP branded as being a government maneuver to remove an official who was not to the administration’s liking.
The ruling Saenuri Party, for its part, berated the DP saying that its actions were transparent and “pitiful.”
“It appears to be a ploy (to form) a new opposition alliance by aggravating discord through a special counsel investigation,” Saenuri Party floor spokesman Rep. Hong Ji-man said on Sunday.
“What exactly is this recovery of democracy the DP speaks of. Do not pretend that it is a fight for the people. (Interests of) the people can’t be found in the actions of the DP.”
Forming a “pan progressive alliance” is a tactic often used by the main opposition party to offset imbalance within the parliament, and the Saenuri Party has blamed the DP and its use of the tactic in last year’s general elections for bringing the Unified Progressive Party into the National Assembly.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
