By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Opposition parties said they will encourage citizens to exercise their right to oust Seoul Metropolitan Council Chairman Kim Gui-hwan and dozens of other councilors who are implicated in bribery allegations through a special system by which they can recall such officials.
Under the system, residents can vote out corrupt or incompetent public post holders, including governors, mayors and heads of local administrative units. A minimum of 10 percent of residents are required to motion the recall. If one third of all residents take part in the voting and more than half vote for expulsion, they can ``recall'' or oust public servants elected in local elections. The related law went to effect in May last year.
Floor leader Won Hye-young of the largest opposition Democratic Party (DP) Wednesday said his party is now seeking cooperation with other opposition parties to oust Kim and other councilors who are members of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP).
``We should oust the corrupt chairman and other city councilors who sold and bought public posts with money,'' Won said during the supreme council at the National Assembly. ``We have already agreed on residents recalling such officials with the Democratic Labor Party and the Renewal of Korea Party.''
Kim Gui-hwan, elected on June 20 to chair the city council, had allegedly handed out 1 million won each to 30 council members since April in exchange for support for his chairmanship bid.
After the bribery scandal was unveiled, he was arrested last Thursday.
With the criticism growing, GNP also requested Kim to quit his party membership Monday. Ten days after the request, Kim will be automatically struck off the member list.
Another senior DP member Kim Min-seok said he will file a suit to cancel the election of Kim and suspend his duties.
But conservative opposition Liberty Forward Party (LFP) showed a lukewarm stance on the move, citing it is necessary to wait for the result of the prosecutors' investigation on the allegations.
``Recalling officials can be an option. But we need to wait and see the ongoing investigation by prosecutors on the matter,'' LFP spokesperson Park Sun-young said.
GNP also criticized opposition parties, citing the recall should be initiated by citizens not by lawmakers of opposition parties.