Shame on the DP for embracing ex-members

A motion to endorse the prosecution’s request for an arrest warrant for two Democratic Party (DP) lawmakers — Youn Kwan-Suk and Lee Sung-man — suspected of handing out cash envelopes to their colleagues ahead of a national convention to help elect Song Young-gil as the new party leader was voted down in the National Assembly on Monday. Rep. Youn avoids arrest after 145 lawmakers opposed it while 139 approved. Rep. Lee also avoided an arrest with 155 votes of opposition versus 132 votes of endorsement. The votes failed to meet the requirements for the arrest of a lawmaker — the attendance of more than a half of all lawmakers and the votes of approval from more than half the lawmakers present.

Rep. Youn is under suspicion of distributing 60 million won ($46,656) in cash to other lawmakers — and Rep. Lee of giving 11 million won to Song’s camp — to help him get elected as the party leader. Before the voting on their fate, Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon explained the need for their arrests by showing evidence, including taped conversations, as “buying votes with money constitutes a grave crime shaking the very foundation of democracy.” The justice minister said it’s not fair to allow 20 DP lawmakers suspected of receiving money to cast their votes.

But the two lawmakers refuted the minister’s remarks by insisting on their innocence. Rep. Lee asked, “Could the prosecution arrest people for denying their suspicions?” The DP holding 167 seats in the 300-member legislature has decided not to allow the prosecution to arrest the lawmakers. Citizens paid close attention to whether the party could really not repeat its earlier vote-down on a similar motion involving current DP Chair Lee Jae-myung. In the beginning, the liberal party appeared to vote for the motion to arrest the two lawmakers, but it ended up with the same decision as before.

In fact, many people had expectations that the DP would endorse the arrest of at least one of the two lawmakers given the worsening public sentiment. But the party made a decision totally detached from public perception. Actually, more DP lawmakers voted against the motion this time than in the case of the current party leader who was already indicted for corruption.

The DP may have decided to reject the motion because if it endorses the motion this time, it can hardly vote down another motion to arrest its current boss next time. Or the DP may have voted it down from the sense of accomplice over the cash handout. Whatever the case, the voters will not trust the party’s promise to innovate itself.