By Yoo Dong-ho
Staff Reporter

The opposition parties are expected to try to introduce a motion to
impeach President Roh Moo-hyun on Tuesday. However, it is not clear whether they will be able to muster enough support to start an impeachment procedure, as the majority Grand National Party (GNP) failed to give it full support.

GNP floor leader Hong Sa-duk said he plans put forward the impeachment motion on Tuesday and a following vote may come as early as Wednesday.

Later in the day, Hong, who has been given the party’s full mandate on the issue, backed away, saying that his party may not insist on the bid.

The Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), the second largest party that is leading an effort to oust Roh, also waited to see the GNP’s future course of action, knowing that it doesn’t have enough votes to introduce the bill alone. Even if all of its 62 lawmakers supported the motion, the MDP would still require the endorsement of 74 lawmakers to reach the half of the total of 271 lawmakers and introduce the motion.

President Roh joined the fray in his defense. ``Although my remark might be branded as `illegal’ to some extent, it shouldn’t be regarded as that serious. Even the state election watchdog was split over what I said,’’ Roh said.

The National Election Commission recent ruling _ that Roh violated the election law by saying he wants to do everything within legal boundaries to support the Uri Party _ prompted opposition forces to move to impeach Roh.

The de facto ruling Uri Party, for its part, reiterated its will to use every means available including ``physical force’’ to block the ballot process. ``The impeachment is nothing short of anti-parliamentary outrage and tyranny by the mammoth opposition,’’ Uri’s floor leader Kim Geun-tae said.

Minor opposition MDP chairman Chough Soon-hyung, who is in the vanguard of the impeachment bid, also renewed his will to bring down President Roh to head off further confusion in state operation.

In a slight shift from his stance, however, Chough toned down his hitherto militant statements by saying, ``Although Roh failed to meet our demand for an open apology, we are ready to extend the time limit for our claim.’’

The 68-year-old MDP leader last week issued an ultimatum that he will promptly embark on impeachment procedures unless the President extends a public apology by Sunday for violating the law requiring public officials to remain neutral.

MDP’s floor leader Yoo Yong-tae gave an upbeat assessment for the opposition’s move to commence with impeachment proceedings. ``Our party already established a solid foothold and will map out a strategy for sacking the President,’’ Yoo said.

However, there are some signs that the common front put up by the opposition forces _ 62-strong MDP and 147-strong GNP _ is shaky as a group of the two parties’ dissident junior legislators have threatened to boycott an impeachment bid.

The Constitution stipulates that an impeachment bill against the President should be introduced by a majority of lawmakers if he or she has violated the constitution or other laws in the performance of their officials duties.

If successfully introduced at the National Assembly, the impeachment motion needs support from more than two-thirds of the total 271 Assembly lawmakers.


yoodh@koreatimes.co.kr