Lee’s Move to Rush FTA Ratification Draws Protest
By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter
President-elect Lee Myung-bak is drawing criticism for trying to speed up the parliamentary ratification of a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States before his inauguration next month.
``Lee is struggling to minimize the political burden by asking President Roh Moo-hyun to push for the passing of the motion to ratify the FTA by the National Assembly before Roh's term ends on Feb. 25,'' the Korean Advanced Farmers Association (KAFA) said Friday.
The farming association called the consensus between Roh and Lee to seek early ratification of the Korea-U.S. FTA, an ``apparently wrong agreement.''
It also pointed out that the U.S. Congress is not ready for a ``yes-or-no'' vote for the South Korea-U.S. FTA bill and Korean lawmakers have not had sufficient time to review it.
The U.S. Congress has already clarified its stance of not allowing the FTA without full opening of Seoul's beef market.
The association also described the move between the two leaders as a ``political alliance, welcomed by the incumbent administration, which wants to window-dress a failed performance during Roh's tenure.''
Furthermore, Lee should keep his electoral campaign pledge to arrange compensation and countermeasures against an effectuation of the FTA before activating the talks for ratification, the KAFA added.
His pledges include maintaining the current level of prices for rice and stabilization of agricultural products. ``But the price of fertilizer has climbed by 24 percent from a year before,'' it said.
Lee's presidential transition committee has discussed shortcuts for early effectuation of the FTA with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including a prompt solution over U.S. beef imports.
Critics say the incumbent and next government are alert to the possibility that the FTA motion may be rejected or not proceed to voting, creating a scenario in which the governing United New Democratic Party (UNDP) will boycott the bill passage so as to acquire political responsibility ahead of the April 9 general elections.
While the conservative Grand National Party supports the U.S. FTA motion and the progressive Democratic Labor Party opposes it, pro-government UNDP lawmakers are divided over it.
At a news briefing, Roh's spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said the Assembly will make a sensible decision.
But he earlier said, ``As far as I'm concerned, the ratification process for the Korea-U.S. FTA bill is not urgent.''