Parties Clash Over Government Downsizing Plan
By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter
The bill for a small government unveiled by President-elect Lee Myung-bak's transition committee Wednesday is emerging as a hot potato ahead of the April 9 National Assembly elections.
The pro-government United New Democratic Party (UNDP) opposes the proposed dissolution of the Ministry of Unification which will be absorbed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade under the plan. The main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) plans to submit the bill to the Assembly early next week, GNP officials said Thursday.
Other parties ― the Democratic Labor Party (DLP), the Democratic Party and the Creative Korea Party (CKP) ― also have a skeptical view about the abolishment of the ministry. Lee won December's presidential election on the GNP's ticket, which has 128 seats in the 299-member legislature. The passage of the bill needs the approval of at least half lawmakers present at the plenary session.
UNDP spokesman Woo Sang-ho said, ``The reorganization could be seen as chopping to pieces which hampers consistency and the continuation of state affairs,'' adding that passage by the Assembly would be difficult.
The party's floor leader Kim Hyo-seuk said, ``I was shocked when I heard about the plan. It is a big mistake to close a ministry dealing with issues of inter-Korean unification in a divided nation, which is guaranteed under the Constitution.''
Kim said his party will seek to keep the ministry alive during the Assembly deliberation of the bill.
Aside from the Unification Ministry, many UNDP lawmakers said, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family should remain.
Other parties also stated that the plan is reversing history and is divorced from the overall trend in society.
But GNP floor leader Ahn Sang-soo said, ``As the people agree with the new government's policy, the Assembly should not veto the bill.''
Ahn, however, said some negotiations with the UNDP could be possible if they do not damage the basic foundation of the bill.
President-elect Lee reiterated that his decision to merge the Unification Ministry into the Foreign Ministry is based purely on his incoming administration's bid to improve the efficiency of its North Korea policy.
``The Unification Ministry has played a role in the opening of inter-Korean relations. Now, the North Korea policy can be more effectively approached from the perspective of pan-governmental functions, instead of being exclusively handled by a single ministry,'' Lee said in a meeting with his transition team members.
``Integration of governmental organizations is a worldwide trend.'' Lee said. ``The organizational reshuffle should be approached from the people's viewpoint.''
The transition team said the next administration will close down five of 18 ministries and two of four ministry-level agencies, cutting 7,000 civil servant jobs through attrition as part of its creation of a ``small, efficient and pragmatic administration.''
Incumbent President Roh Moo-hyun was quoted by his spokesman Cheon as saying, ``I struggled hard over the past five years to change the people's perception toward a small government, but have failed.''