Saenuri leadership urges Pres. Park to form neutral Cabinet

Saenuri leadership urges Pres. Park to form neutral Cabinet. October. 31, 2016 07:08. by 이재명기자 egija@donga.com.

The leadership of the Saenuri Party is urging President Park Geun-hye to set up a neutral Cabinet. The ruling party has effectively sent President Park a message asking her to stay away from state administration. This came after potential presidential candidates from the opposition camp proposed Park to form a neutral Cabinet. As the ruling and opposition parties have reached an agreement, attention is now focusing on whether a test of state administration through a ruling-opposition party coalition government will be conducted for the first time in Korea’s constitutional history.

“We have decided to strongly urge the president to form a neutral Cabinet that could be agreed upon by the ruling and opposition parties and trusted by the public,” party spokesman Kim Sung-won told reporters after an emergency meeting of the ruling party’s supreme council on Sunday afternoon. “Thorough investigation of the case is needed to help ease national shock and anxiety at this point. The prosecution is urged to immediately arrest Choi Soon-sil (who returned to Korea on the day), and sternly punish her.” The Saenuri leadership also decided to urge the president to conduct far-reaching reshuffle of all personnel responsible for the fiasco in the presidential office.

The ruling party’s demand to form a neutral Cabinet came after Saenuri Chairman Lee Jung-hyun and its floor leader Chung Jin-seok held individual meetings with President Park on Friday. Analysts say that the ruling party has started process to distance itself from the troubled president in earnest. The ruling party is also joining hands with the opposition camp in calling the prosecution for prompt investigation of Choi Soon-sil. The measure is seen as a step taken to prepare for a ruling-opposition party coalition government.