"When Facing an Irresponsible Leadership, Only Lawmakers and Party Members Shed Tears of Blood"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu and Standing Advisor of the People Power Party, targeted former lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who was the floor leader and party leader at the time, and former Future United Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn by mentioning the 'Fast Track Clash' incident from three years ago.
On the 27th, Mayor Hong referred to the trial resulting from the 'Fast Track Clash' incident that occurred in November 2019 through his social media (SNS), saying, "There is a forgotten trial."
Former Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, who was prosecuted over the 20th National Assembly fast-track (rapid processing agenda) clash incident, is answering reporters' questions before attending the first trial held at the Southern District Court in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
He said, "In the confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties over the election law and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) law in November 2019, our party, which was the opposition at the time, physically tried to block the passage of those two laws in the National Assembly, resulting in the indictment of former and current lawmakers, including the party leader and floor leader, for violating the National Assembly Advancement Act in large numbers. The party leader and floor leader at the time pressured lawmakers whose nominations depended on the next year's primaries to take the front line, and the leadership, who boldly promised to take responsibility, did not take responsibility afterward," he pointed out.
This was aimed at former leader Hwang and former lawmaker Na, who were the leadership at the time.
He also shared an anecdote about persuading former leader Hwang. Mayor Hong said, "At that time, I visited Leader Hwang, who was on a hunger strike, and told him, 'We can abolish the CIO law when we come to power, so hand it over and negotiate to block the strange mixed-member proportional representation system.' In fact, the Democratic Party was hoping for that too," he said, describing the situation at the time. "I also said that if both were forcibly blocked, many of our party lawmakers would suffer."
However, despite Mayor Hong's dissuasion, the leadership physically blocked the passage of the laws in the National Assembly, and as a result, 27 members of the Liberty Korea Party were indicted en masse. Mayor Hong said, "If the leadership had stepped forward and negotiated, saying, 'We will take responsibility during the prosecution investigation stage, so do not indict lawmakers who followed our orders,' would dozens of former and current lawmakers still be shackled by political exile?" He added, "This case is a serious legal violation that results in automatic political exile if found guilty. It was all recorded on the National Assembly CCTV, so can it be acquitted?"
He continued, "What must be the feelings of the former and current lawmakers involved in the trial, which is expected to conclude the first trial within this year, due to the extreme irresponsibility of the leadership?" and "Therefore, when meeting irresponsible and incompetent leadership, only the lawmakers and party members shed tears of blood."
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