From news reports
The ruling Saenuri Party decided to call a general assembly Wednesday to decide the fate of floor leader Rep. Yoo Seong-min, who was pegged by President Park Geun-hye last month as the culprit behind government policy delays.
The decision was made at an emergency meeting of Supreme Council members Tuesday, a day after the party boycotted a revote of, and thereby discarded, the controversial National Assembly Act revision vetoed by Park.
Saenuri Party chairman Rep. Kim Moo-sung told the press that member lawmakers will discuss an item initially titled “A resolution to recommend the resignation of the floor leader for the sake of the Saenuri Party’s future and the Park Geun-hye administration’s success.”
Party members continued to scuffle over the name of the discussion item, with the non-Park members saying the title restricts the scope of discussion by assuming Yoo’s resignation.
Kim said they decided on the format of officially opening debate to avoid a situation of having to cast a confidence vote of Yoo as demanded by pro-Park members of the party.
Yoo, who left the Supreme Council meeting mid-way, told reporters that he will not be attending the assembly but that he will abide by whatever decision is made.
Yoo, elected as the party’s floor leader in February by beating out a pro-Park competitor, has refused to step down from the post despite repeated prodding from staunch members of his party over the past week.
Yoo’s former running mate and chief policymaker Rep. Won Yoo-chul said it was his idea to have the party deliberate on the situation instead of pushing for a vote to allow an opportunity for Yoo to resign voluntarily.
Despite the party leadership’s decision, conflict within the party persisted with non-Park members harshly criticizing the pro-Park members having bowed to Cheong Wa Dae pressure.
“The decision reached at the Supreme Council meeting is a shameful one that should be discarded immediately,” said senior member Rep. Lee Jae-oh. Lee had vied against Park for the party’s presidential candidacy in 2012.
“Since my entry to the party in 1996, there has never been a case more tragic … It is despicable on political moral standards for the council to have made all decisions to later blame it all on the floor leader as their scapegoat upon a simple remark by Cheong Wa Dae,” he said through his Facebook account.
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, meanwhile, lambasted the ruling rival for sitting out of the National Assembly Act revision, which the majority of the Saenuri Party had also endorsed in the first round of votes on May 29.
The NPAD leadership also stepped up their offensive by suspending all standing committee meetings related to the revised supplementary budget.
“Today is the day to mourn the National Assembly … They are nothing more than a mob of rioters,” said NPAD floor leader Lee Jong-kul, referring to the Saenuri Party’s unilateral passage of 61 bills the night before without the attendance of NPAD lawmakers.
The Saenuri Party holds a majority 160 seats in the 298-member Assembly. A total of 151 Saenuri lawmakers flocked to the Assembly building late Monday night upon the leadership’s request, just fulfilling the minimum voting quorum of 150.
“The ruling party members’ oath of allegiance to the president is an act of betrayal to the people and a self-destructive action forgoing their (right) as legislators,” said NPAD Rep. Kang Dong-won.
Saenuri to open debate on Yoo’s fate
