By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) postponed the submission of a motion, Thursday, calling for the dismissal of Prime Minister Chung Un-chan for his role in pushing the revision of an administrative town plan.
Four opposition parties agreed early this week to submit to the National Assembly the motion no later than Thursday over his responsibility in seeking the revision of the Sejong City development project.
Pundits here say uncertainty in the passage of the motion is largely responsible for the delay.
For the motion to be passed, more than half of the total 297 lawmakers, or 149 legislators, must vote in favor within 72 hours of its submission. But the four parties have only a combined 96 parliamentary seats. The DP has 88 of them.
The opposition parties expected the majority of the Pro-Park Geun-hye faction of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) to back their cause.
Sources, however, say only one third of the Park faction, which reportedly holds 50 to 60 seats within the governing party, is in favor of the opposition-led move to oust the prime minister.
Meanwhile, Chung refuted the claims that he should step down over alleged ``incompetence'' and the revision of the Sejong project.
``I've always been prepared to step down, while throwing myself into my work,'' Chung told reporters. ``However, my fate will not be determined by the outcome of the National Assembly's decision over the passage of the Sejong City revision bill.''
Chung, a former president of Seoul National University (SNU), also expressed his confidence in handling his duties as the nation's No. 2 man.
``I expect the people will make a judgment on the validity of the accusations that a person, who once served as SNU president, lacks qualifications in serving as prime minister,'' Chung said.
He said it would be unthinkable for him to step down because he pledged to spearhead the construction of Sejong as an education-business city to people in the Chungcheong region.
Chung said the Assembly should handle the bill in the first half of the year, or it may turn into a ``permanently unresolved issue.''
leeth@koreatimes.co.kr
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