GNP to Boycott National Assembly Session
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Leaders of the Grand National Party (GNP) accused United New Democratic Party (UNDP) of using a one-sided vote in choosing witnesses for a parliamentary inspection of the government and pushing it through by using violence, Friday.
They said the vote should be annulled as it lacked due democratic procedure, and they will take legal action against the pro-government party lawmaker who led it.
GNP floor leader Ahn Sang-soo said there were unwritten practices in the National Assembly as to how to choose parliamentary inspection witnesses.
``Previously the list was made based on an agreement between the ruling and opposition party members,'' he said. ``There were times, though, that the parties agreed to vote on who to include as witnesses. The decision to go for a vote was also made based on a bipartisan agreement, not in a unilateral way like this.''
Rep. Ahn stressed that the pro-government UNDP created the witness list and pushed it to a vote without getting approval from the opposition party.
The lawmaker said the GNP will sue Rep. Park Byeong-seug of the UNDP who orchestrated the decision and used violence to make it happen. The GNP also said it will call on the Assembly Ethics Committee to investigate Rep. Park's ``misdemeanor.''
The conservative party lawmakers said that presidential nominee Lee Myung-bak's relatives who are on the list should be removed.
The list has Kim Jae-jung, Lee's brother-in-law, who was the co-owner of property in the wealthy area of Seoul along with Lee's brother.
Pro-government party lawmakers have raised suspicion that Kim was not the legitimate owner of the land, and Lee hid his wealth under Kim's name.
The GNP lawmakers said their presidential nominee is not a government employee and therefore he and his relatives are not subject to the parliamentary inspection.
They claimed the pro-government party is trying to use the inspection to discredit Lee.
Kim Kyung-jun, who was Lee's former business partner at BBK and is currently in jail in the U.S. for embezzlement and stock manipulation, is also on the list.
Kim fled to the U.S. after the scandal broke out by using a fake passport and is subject to criminal extradition.
Recently, Kim dropped his appeal in which he had applied for protection not to be repatriated to Korea. The GNP said he is expected to return in November.
UNDP lawmakers have raised suspicion that Lee might be linked to the stock manipulation case, something he denies.
Lee said in a recent interview that Kim should come back to Korea to face charges leveled against him.