LKP sticks to political brinkmanship
FTC nominee fails to get confirmation
By Choi Ha-young
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LKP floor leader Chung Woo-taik
The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) is boycotting all inter-party discussions on policy proposals from the Moon Jae-in government, and opposing all the President’s nominees for Cabinet ministers without exception.
This “brinkmanship tactic” is apparently making more people turn their backs on the conservative party, while Moon and his ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) are maintaining high popularity.
On Monday, Fair Trade Commission chief nominee Kim Sang-jo failed to get parliamentary confirmation due to opposition from the LKP. Foreign Minister nominee Kang Kyung-wha was also rejected by the LKP and other opposition parties. The LKP even refused to discuss whether to confirm Constitutional Court chief nominee Kim Yi-su.
Moon now has to decide on whether to appoint them without parliamentary backing. However, this may risk his relationship with the opposition parties, which could jeopardize his reform agenda that requires parliamentary approval.
Earlier in the day, three major parties except for the LKP agreed to start talks on whether to approve the government’s supplementary budget bill centered on revitalizing the economy. Party floor leader Chung Woo-taik refused to take part in the talks, despite pleas from the DPK and other opposition parties. The party, instead, criticized the ruling camp for “isolating” the LKP from parliamentary negotiations.
Voters are increasingly fed up with the party’s moves.
The latest poll showed only 14.3 percent of people support the LKP, which is even lower than when the party was reeling from the corruption scandal involving its ousted conservative leader Park Geun-hye.
Meanwhile, two smaller opposition parties ― the People’s Party and the Bareun Party ― are taking a different path.
The two parties are attempting to strengthen their role as a balancing power between the two bigger parties ― the DPK and the LKP.
However, they are seemingly disoriented as well because public support for the Moon administration remains strong, according to political commentator Choi Young-il.
“They are struggling to raise their independent voices,” Choi said.
The People’s Party was formed by lawmakers who left the DPK in January 2016 when it was known as the Minjoo Party of Korea, and the Bareun Party was formed by lawmakers leaving the LKP, then known as the Saenuri Party, in January this year.
When the People’s Party backed the appointment of Moon’s Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, it was called the “DPK’s backup force.” Within the conservative Bareun Party, voices from reformist lawmakers are getting stronger.
A factional dispute is now resurfacing in the LKP between former presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo and loyalists to ex-President Park. It’s unclear whether the July 3 party convention will provide momentum to integrate the party.
The People’s Party also underwent internal friction when appointing its interim leader. To elect a new leadership and renovate the party, its lawmakers called for an early party convention, during a party meeting Monday.
The Bareun Party is also gearing up to elect a new chairman June 26. Reps. Ha Tae-keung and Kim Young-woo threw their hats into the ring. Both pledged to beef up social welfare and resolve economic polarization.
“There’s no hope for the LKP, which is obsessed with factional politics. The next leadership of the Bareun Party should show real conservatism to protect constitutional values and justice,” Rep. Kim told The Korea Times.
For the ruling DPK and Cheong Wa Dae, the disintegration of the opposition parties without prominent leaders is an unprecedented chance for thorough reforms. When liberal President Roh Moo-hyun (2003-08) pushed for reforms, then-opposition leader Park Geun-hye led the Grand National Party with 125 seats. This explains the reason the DPK is not trying to absorb some from the People’s Party, since it may trigger solidarity in the opposition bloc, observers noted.