By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter

The minor opposition Liberty Forward Party (LFP) submitted to the National Assembly a motion to recommend to President Lee Myung-bak that Prime Minister Chung Un-chan be dismissed for his cancellation of the original Sejong City project, Wednesday.

The chances the motion will be approved at the parliament are slim, given the quorum requires two-thirds of the 298 lawmakers to vote for it.

Legislators of the party argued that Chung ``coerced and pressured businesses to relocate their offices'' to Sejong City, which is under construction in South Chungcheong Province.

The party has opposed the government's plan to scrap the original project, which would have seen an administrative town built on the site. The administration is seeking to find an alternative plan that would satisfy Chungcheong residents. A study is underway regarding the creation a multi-functional, self-sufficient industrial city there.

``In a market economy, businesses are supposed to make their own decisions, and they are not supposed to be influenced by the government. In this regard, Chung's act challenged the principles of the free market,'' said a statement issued by the legislators.

``If nothing is done to stop Chung from his pushing for the relocation of businesses to the new city, he will immensely damage the nation as well as the people.''

Residents in Chungcheong Province, the home turf of the minor party, were closely watching the fate of the plan to relocate nine ministries and four government agencies to Sejong City.

Chung, a vocal opponent of the original master plan, met with business leaders Tuesday to encourage them to invest in the brand new city.

In order for a vote to take place, 100 or more lawmakers must back the motion. The LFP has only 17 parliamentary seats.

LFP lawmakers told reporters that they would work together with the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), which has 86 parliamentary seats. If 83 or more DP members join the campaign, the motion will be tabled at a plenary session for a vote.

The legislature can adopt the recommendation only when more than two-thirds of lawmakers ― 200 or more ― vote for it.

Given the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) commands an absolute majority with 169 seats, the chances the motion will be passed in the legislature is low.

hkang@koreatimes.co.kr