Free trade pact is factor in confirmation of Prime Minister nominee
Dong-A-Ilbo, Seoul
Free Trade Pact Is Factor in Confirmation of Prime Minister Nominee
19 March 2007
A dark cloud hung over the confirmation of prime ministerial nominee Han Duck-soo at the National Assembly yesterday.
It was expected at first that as a former bureaucrat with almost no political inclinations, Han would not have a hard time being confirmed by the National Assembly. But as the opposition from farmers’ organizations and civic groups gets stronger against a Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA), the National Assembly’s confirmation of the nominee, who served as chairman of the presidential committee for supporting the conclusion of the Korea-U.S. FTA, is now being turned into a vote on the bilateral trade agreement.
Furthermore, as the point of time for concluding the FTA negotiations-set for late this month-and the time period of the National Assembly confirmation hearing on Han coincide, some are thinking that voting for him equals saying yes to the Korea-U.S. FTA.
The motion for Han’s nomination was presented to the National Assembly on March 15, but a special committee for his confirmation hearing is yet to be formed. The National Assembly is required to follow the procedures of (a) forming a special committee; (b) holding a confirmation hearing; (c) submitting a report on the process; and (d) voting on the confirmation at the plenary session within 20 days after a nomination motion is introduced.
The situation regarding the National Assembly’s confirmation of the nominee suddenly reversed last week when Kim Geun-tae, the former chairman of the ruling Uri Party, expressed what is effectively considered opposition to his confirmation. Joining his “anti-FTA” move are major pan-ruling party figures, including former Uri Party chairman Chung Dong-young and lawmakers Shin Ki-nam and Chun Jeong-bae.
In order for Han to pass the confirmation process at the National Assembly, he needs the attendance of a majority of the total National Assembly members and the concurrence of a majority of the members present.
The current Uri Party leadership, including its incumbent chairman Chung Se-gyun, is expected to vote for the confirmation. Opposition from former chairmen Kim Geun-tae and Chung Dong-young, however, makes it difficult to get approvals from all 108 of its members. To make matters worse, the Democratic Labor Party is sure to oppose the confirmation, and so are some lawmakers in the Uri Party and the Democratic Party whose electoral districts are in farming areas. For the Grand National Party (GNP), it is unclear whether the major opposition party will make it its party opinion to support Han at a time when farmers and civic groups strongly oppose such a move and with the presidential election drawing near.
Some believe, however, that given the GNP is basically in favor of concluding a Korea-U.S. FTA, the confirmation vote will not be rejected if large numbers of lawmakers from the Uri Party and the United New Party also votes for him.
