GNP scrambling for votes

Just a day before the National Assembly votes on an impeachment motion against Prosecutor General Shin Seung-nam, the burden of the vote and its implications fell mostly on the main opposition Friday.

The Grand National Party, which proposed the motion, was visibly worried as the likelihood that the motion would pass began to dwindle.

The United Liberal Democrats, who hold 15 seats in the legislature, said they would vote against the motion. Both independent lawmakers and the two legislators from the Democratic People's Party also said they would vote against the measure.

Adding to the woes of the GNP, two of its legislators, Representatives Kim Tae-ho and Shon Tae-in, said they would not participate in voting due to health reasons. That means the Grand National Party, which is one seat shy of a majority in the Assembly, now needs to secure three votes to send the impeachment motion to the Constitutional Court. Even opposition legislators were skeptical as they tried to put a positive spin on the defeat.

"The denial of the impeachment motion is good for the party," a senior party official said. "If it were to pass, it would place the party under too much pressure."

But some Grand Nationals refused to give in. Lee Jae-oh, the party's floor leader, was spotted courting ruling Millennium Democrats and United Liberal Democrats all day Friday.

Kwon Chul-hyun, the party's spokesman, said, "Some United Liberal Democrats say they will vote for impeachment, and reformers within the ruling Millennium Democratic Party have pointed out that the prosecution is ruining the country." Mr. Kwon urged legislators to "vote your consciences."

The ruling party, meanwhile, worked to ensure that the two independents and members of the Democratic People's Party did not change their positions. They did not, however, lobby the United Liberal Democrats, their former coalition partners. While they share the same view on the impeachment motion, the parties are not on the best of the terms since their breakup in September.

The United Liberal Democrats, led by Kim Jong-pil, walked a political tight-rope Friday for no apparent reason. On Thursday the party said all its 15 members would cast nay votes at Saturday's plenary session. The party even called Secretary-General Oh Jang-seop back from a trip abroad. But on Friday the party said it will only show up for the vote if the Millennium Democratic Party does not.

by Kim Chong-hyuk