Ruling party inches closer to unilateral approval of PM

By Do Je-hae

The Saenuri Party is poised to unilaterally approve President Park Geun-hye's choice for prime minister, Hwang Kyo-an, following days of unfruitful negotiations with the opposition bloc for a plenary vote.

The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) has refused to set a date for the session after a confirmation hearing last week failed to clearly address a wide range of allegations about Hwang's career as prosecutor, lawyer and justice minister.

The ruling party unilaterally adopted a confirmation report last week.

“We are doing all we can to persuade the NPAD so that the Assembly can process the bill to approve Hwang by Wednesday at the latest,” ruling floor leader Rep. Yoo Seong-min told reporters Tuesday.

“If the opposition continues its objection, we will persuade the speaker to allow a unilateral passage.” National Assembly Speaker Chug Ui-hwa has the authority to put the bill to approve Hwang to a vote.

The Saenuri Party has a majority in the Assembly with 160 out of 298 seats.

The floor leader called on all of his party members to attend a possible general Assembly meeting today at 2:00 p.m. "The speaker believes that there is no clear reason to further delay a vote,” Yoo said.

In February, the opposition also slammed then-Prime Minister-designate Lee Wan-goo for being unfit to take the nation's second-highest government position and resisted his confirmation. In the end, the NPAD participated in a parliamentary session and voted against him.

“It is absolutely necessary to pass the bill for Hwang's approval ahead of the appellation which begins Thursday," Rep. Cho Hae-jin, a Saenuri Party spokesman said.

The NPAD is resisting the nominee, whom the party declared “unqualified” because of military service-dodging and influence-peddling allegations.

President Park picked Hwang to replace Lee, who stepped down in April ahead of a prosecutorial probe into allegations that he received 30 million won from a businessman. Keangnam Group Chairman Song Wan-joang left a suicidal memo with names of eight political heavyweights including Lee, with the amounts of money he allegedly gave to them.

Acting Prime Minister Choi Kyung-whan called on the Assembly during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday to approve a new prime minister as soon as possible properly lead the government’s response to the MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak.

“It is equivalent to neglecting the people if the parties fail to pass the bill for the new prime minister,” he said.