Parties Feuding Over Government Downsizing
By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter
The two largest parties showed few signs Monday of backing off from their stance on the proposed government downsizing plan.
The Grand National Party (GNP) and the pro-government United Democratic Party (UDP) held last-minute talks but made little progress.
Unless an agreement is made, President-elect Lee Myung-bak has no choice but to announce just candidates for the Cabinet ministers because less than a week is left before his inauguration, Lee's aides said.
Lee sought to pass the bills on government reorganization no later than Feb. 19.
His Presidential Transition Committee and the GNP are adhering to the principle of a small but efficient government but the UDP has been seeking to retain a few ministries, including those for gender equality, and maritime and fisheries. Lee was elected president on the GNP's ticket.
Several hours before the parties went into the last-minute talks, President Roh Moo-hyun and President-elect Lee met at the presidential office.
The bills need to be passed at the earliest possible date to give the President-elect enough time to form his Cabinet and prepare to launch his government before Feb. 25 when he is sworn in.
After three weeks of talks, the UDP and the transition team have so far been unsuccessful, except for an accord to retain the Unification Ministry.
In January, the President-elect proposed bills for restructuring the government into a 13-ministry framework, down from the current 18. This move would cause up to 7,000 civil workers to lose their jobs.
GNP leader Kang Jae-sup called for the UDP to put themselves in the GNP's shoes and let the new government do its work.
Lee and his team have already stated that they will not budge from plans to shut down the maritime ministry, the gender equality ministry and the Rural Development Administration and merge them with other ministries.
Backing down from earlier demands, the UDP has called for the three organizations to stay intact.