Impeachment bid fails; maneuvers thwart vote count

Harsh words between the ruling and opposition parties continued after an impeachment motion against Prosecutor General Shin Seung-nam was neither adopted nor defeated Saturday. It died because of procedural slight of hand.

"The vote took place legally but the Millennium Democrats refused to send observers to tally the vote," said Representative Lee Jae-oh, floor leader of the main opposition Grand National Party. "Blocking the tallying of votes is an act that goes counter to the spirit of the National Assembly."

Mr. Lee demanded an apology from President Kim Dae-jung and from the Millennium Democratic Party leadership. He also called on the president to fire the prosecutor general.

The governing party dismissed the demand. Representative Lee Sang-soo, the party's floor leader, said it would hold an extraordinary session of the National Assembly on Dec. 18 even if the Grand Nationals refuse. The Grand Nationals said they would not link the apology issue and the extraordinary session of the Assembly, opening the way for a session to review the long-overdue 2002 budget bill.

The impeachment motion against the prosecutor general automatically died after the Millennium Democrats refused to send observers to tally the votes. The Grand Nationals, numbering 136; an independent, Representative Chung Mong-joon and Representative Kang Sook-ja of the Democratic People's Party all cast votes, thus meeting the Assembly's quorum requirement of 137.

The Millennium Democrats were present at the plenary session but did not vote. The United Liberal Democrats walked out as soon as the Millennium Democrats entered the chamber.

The refusal to count the votes was based on an MDP contention that the impeachment motion itself was illegal. Assembly Speaker Lee Man-sup ended the session and the motion automatically died Sunday afternoon.

On Sunday, the two major parties issued statements blaming each other for the outcome. Representative Kim Ki-bae, secretary general of the Grand National Party, joined in his colleague's demand that President Kim Dae-jung should apologize and fire the prosecutor general as soon as he returns from his European trip.

Lee Nak-yon, the governing party spokesman, said the Grand National Party blames the president for everything.

The accusations, he said, resulted from the opposition leader's lack of political vision.

Lee Hoi-chang, the target of that barb, said on Sunday morning called the United Liberal Democrats' role in the affair "immature."

He said he suspected that the ULD walked out of the impeachment vote because the Grand National Party had recruited one member of the small party in October.

by Lee Sang-il