By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
President-elect Lee Myung-bak's push to slim down the government is expected to become a hot button issue in the upcoming National Assembly elections.
The pro-government United Democratic Party (UDP), the largest bloc in the Assembly, has pledged to boycott parliamentary hearings for 15 Cabinet nominees named by Lee.
``We've encountered the worst-case scenario that makes any more negotiations impossible,'' Rep. Choi Jae-sung, a spokesman of the new party formed by the merger of the United New Democratic Party and Democratic Party said. ``We have no choice but to take emergency measures.''
The two liberal parties launched the united front ahead of the April 9 elections widely expected to be dominated by the conservative Grand National Party (GNP). Lee was elected president on the GNP's ticket.
UDP spokesman Woo Sang-ho called Lee's ``unilateral'' announcement of new Cabinet members ``illegal.'' He said, ``We can't accept such a unilateral announcement.''
In a press conference, Lee said the government downsizing is the first step toward achieving his campaign pledge of reviving the economy.
``I made efforts to have the bill on the government downsizing passed at the National Assembly through bipartisan consensus. But it failed and we can't wait for that anymore,'' said the President-elect.
Lee's Presidential Transition Committee has, however, left open the possibility for more negotiations.
``We'll keep trying to reach a compromise with the United Democratic Party,'' an official said. ``We expect good results since most of the public are in favor of our plan to make a smaller, more efficient government.''
Last month, the transition team announced a plan to reduce the number of government ministries and offices to 13, down from the current 18.
Under the plan, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and the Ministry of Gender Equality were to be scrapped after their functions were absorbed into other ministries.
Earlier in the day, Lee met with President Roh Moo-hyun in a last ditch effort to seek a breakthrough in the stalled plan.
Among the ministries to be scrapped, the United Democratic Party led by former Gyeonggi Governor Sohn Hak-kyu vows to keep the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
Following the announcement of the Cabinet roster, Lee and his Cabinet members held a midnight workshop through early this morning to prepare for the launch of the new administration on Feb. 25.