Official position on Sejong plan splits the GNP
Published: 16 Feb. 2010, 20:36
The civil war inside the Grand National Party over Sejong City appeared to resume yesterday as the pro-Lee Myung-bak faction geared up to adopt a new development plan as the official party platform, despite the opposition of lawmakers loyal to Park Geun-hye.
At heart is the question of whether the GNP should revise its official platform, which still supports the initial program to relocate government offices to Sejong, in South Chungcheong. The president’s proposed revision would see the city developed as a science, education and business center.
To rewrite the platform, at least 113 lawmakers would need to approve Lee’s plan, a two-thirds majority vote. About 90 to 100 lawmakers inside the 169-member GNP are considered Lee supporters.
Lee’s backers yesterday revealed a plan to make the revision official.
“We will prepare a request to hold a vote and submit it to the leadership tomorrow,” Representative Chung Du-un said in an interview with SBS Radio. “We hope the lawmakers can meet within a week.”
Representative Ahn Sang-soo, the GNP floor leader, confirmed that the party will soon hold a legislative meeting to discuss the new plan and decide the party’s position.
The pro-Lee faction began the move following the president’s remarks on Friday that the party should cooperate with the government to approve the Sejong revision bills now before the National Assembly.
“I wish the conclusion could be made under the party’s initiative,” Lee said, adding that the party’s position must be decided democratically. He also urged that individual lawmakers, although they may not agree with his plan, support it if it is adopted as a party platform.
The pro-Park faction, however, made clear their opposition.
“The current party platform already had been decided democratically,” Representative Lee Jung-hyun said in an interview with CBS Radio. “If the platform can be reversed so easily, we will probably have to change it every day.”
He also criticized the president’s contention that all GNP lawmakers should back the new plan if it is officially adopted.
“That’s precisely why the party had adopted the current platform. Even if some pro-Lee lawmakers disagree with it, they should back it to avoid wasteful debates,” he said.
“The GNP has 169 lawmakers, but the prime minister’s office unilaterally created the new plan, and now the party is holding a vote even though everything is decided,” Lee said. “That’s just laughable.”
Meanwhile, 113 lawmakers, including those from the five opposition parties, yesterday asked the National Assembly to conduct a parliamentary investigation into the Lee administration’s efforts to revise the Sejong development plan. The request is unlikely to receive a majority vote in the National Assembly, however.
By Ser Myo-ja [[email protected]]
At heart is the question of whether the GNP should revise its official platform, which still supports the initial program to relocate government offices to Sejong, in South Chungcheong. The president’s proposed revision would see the city developed as a science, education and business center.
To rewrite the platform, at least 113 lawmakers would need to approve Lee’s plan, a two-thirds majority vote. About 90 to 100 lawmakers inside the 169-member GNP are considered Lee supporters.
Lee’s backers yesterday revealed a plan to make the revision official.
“We will prepare a request to hold a vote and submit it to the leadership tomorrow,” Representative Chung Du-un said in an interview with SBS Radio. “We hope the lawmakers can meet within a week.”
Representative Ahn Sang-soo, the GNP floor leader, confirmed that the party will soon hold a legislative meeting to discuss the new plan and decide the party’s position.
The pro-Lee faction began the move following the president’s remarks on Friday that the party should cooperate with the government to approve the Sejong revision bills now before the National Assembly.
“I wish the conclusion could be made under the party’s initiative,” Lee said, adding that the party’s position must be decided democratically. He also urged that individual lawmakers, although they may not agree with his plan, support it if it is adopted as a party platform.
The pro-Park faction, however, made clear their opposition.
“The current party platform already had been decided democratically,” Representative Lee Jung-hyun said in an interview with CBS Radio. “If the platform can be reversed so easily, we will probably have to change it every day.”
He also criticized the president’s contention that all GNP lawmakers should back the new plan if it is officially adopted.
“That’s precisely why the party had adopted the current platform. Even if some pro-Lee lawmakers disagree with it, they should back it to avoid wasteful debates,” he said.
“The GNP has 169 lawmakers, but the prime minister’s office unilaterally created the new plan, and now the party is holding a vote even though everything is decided,” Lee said. “That’s just laughable.”
Meanwhile, 113 lawmakers, including those from the five opposition parties, yesterday asked the National Assembly to conduct a parliamentary investigation into the Lee administration’s efforts to revise the Sejong development plan. The request is unlikely to receive a majority vote in the National Assembly, however.
By Ser Myo-ja [[email protected]]
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한글 기사 보기
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여권이 짧은 설 연휴를 끝내고 세종시 문제로 또다시 갈등을 빚었다. 세종시 당론(원안)을 변경하기 위한 의원총회 소집을 두고 친이명박계와 친박근혜계가 충돌한 것이다.
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with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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