By Shim Jae-yun
Staff Reporter

Prime Minister Goh Kum on Monday virtually refused a call by three opposition parties to speak of his plans to manage state affairs.

Goh, acting on behalf of President Roh Moo-hyun, who had his executive powers stripped after the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against him, said that he will speak before the Assembly, only if all four major political parties made a collective request. The pro-government Uri Party opposed it, which made Goh’s speech unlikely.

``The interim head of state noted he would consider the matter only when all the parties reach a consensus,’’ said Kim Duck-bong, Goh’s public relations secretary.

Goh’s stance was largely understood as a latent rejection of the opposition parties’ request that he appear at the Assembly to reveal his policy direction as the acting head of state, following the impeachment against President Roh Moo-hyun.

The pro-government Uri Party has been opposing the move, describing it as the opposition parties’ political maneuvering to win an upper hand over the ruling camp, while the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) floor leader Rep. Hong Sa-duck said his party would refrain from further pressing ahead with the request.

``We have no intention to harass Prime Minister Goh any longer,’’ Hong said.

He, however, said the party would convene a parliamentary committee to address allegations of bias against the state-run broadcaster KBS and to tackle pending issues following the nation’s first presidential impeachment.

The opposition parties have been seeking Goh’s Assembly speech to give the impression that they can carry out the state administration in a safe manner, in cooperation with the acting head of state, despite the unprecedented impeachment.

Their request has embarrassed Goh, as the scope of his rights and duties are confined as an interim head of state, and the Constitutional Court has not yet had trials that would test the validity of the impeachment.

Prompted by Goh’s lukewarm attitude over their request, the opposition parties shifted criticism to the pro-government Uri Party, alleging it has been preventing Goh from appropriately carrying out the state administration.

``Chong Wa Dae and the Uri Party should immediately stop applying brakes on Goh,’’ Hong said.

Party chief policymaker Rep. Lee Kang-doo insisted on Goh’s Assembly speech, which he said is necessary to help ease the people’s growing concern in the wake of the impeachment.

Rep. Chough Soo-hyung, chairman of the second opposition Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), said Goh is not entitled to refuse the Assembly’s request for the speech.

``The National Assembly has the right to call for the parliamentary speech by the interim head of state. Goh needs to accept the opposition request without attempting to protect himself,’’ Chough said during a meeting of the party’s executive members.

jayshim@koreatimes.co.kr