Handuksoo "Constitutional Court Justice Appointment on Hold"
Opposition Starts Impeachment Process Against Handuksoo
Woo Wonsik "Handuksoo Must Complete Appointment"
The appointment consent bill for the three Constitutional Court justice candidates recommended by the National Assembly has passed the plenary session of the National Assembly.
On the 26th, the National Assembly plenary session is presenting the nomination of Ma Eun-hyeok, Jeong Gye-seon, and Jo Han-chang for Constitutional Court Justice.
On the 26th, the National Assembly held a plenary session and approved the appointment consent bill for Constitutional Court justice candidates Ma Eun-hyeok, Jeong Gye-seon, and Jo Han-chang. The appointment consent bills for candidates Ma and Jeong, recommended by the opposition party, passed with 193 votes in favor, 1 abstention, and 1 invalid vote out of 195 members present. The candidate Jo, recommended by the ruling party, was approved with 185 votes in favor, 6 against, 1 abstention, and 3 invalid votes out of 195 members present.
The People Power Party decided not to participate in the vote on the Constitutional Court justices through a party caucus. Only a few members, including Representative Kim Sang-wook of the People Power Party, attended the vote. After the vote on the Constitutional Court justice candidates was completed, People Power Party members entered the plenary hall. Kwon Seong-dong, Acting Leader and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, said at the party caucus that day, "If the appointment of the three Constitutional Court justices recommended by the National Assembly is forced, the impeachment trial itself could be invalidated," and added, "We must not appoint Constitutional Court justices under the Democratic Party's threats and coercion."
Han Deok-soo, Acting President and Prime Minister, expressed his intention to withhold the appointment of the Constitutional Court justices recommended by the National Assembly. In an emergency national address at the Government Seoul Office that day, Acting President Han said, "The consistent spirit embedded in the Constitution and laws is that the acting president should refrain from exercising the president's significant inherent powers," and added, "If it is unavoidable to exercise such powers, it is an unbroken precedent that consensus between the ruling and opposition parties in the National Assembly, the representatives of the people, should be reached first." He also emphasized, "The opposition party is pressuring to exercise the president's inherent authority to appoint constitutional institutions without bipartisan agreement," and stated, "I will withhold the appointment of Constitutional Court justices until the ruling and opposition parties submit a consensus proposal."
After Acting President Han announced that he would not immediately appoint the Constitutional Court justices, the Democratic Party filed an impeachment motion. The Democratic Party plans to report the impeachment motion against Acting President Han in the plenary session that day and vote on it the following day. Park Chan-dae, the Democratic Party floor leader, emphasized, "Acting President Han's national address is an acknowledgment that he is not an acting president but an acting leader of a rebellion."
Speaker Woo urged Acting President Han to promptly appoint the Constitutional Court justices. Immediately after the vote, Speaker Woo said, "I ask the Acting President to complete the appointment procedure for the Constitutional Court justices without delay," and pointed out, "Using bipartisan consensus as an excuse for the appointment procedure is unconvincing and inappropriate." He continued, "The appointment is not a subject for bipartisan discussion, and asking for consensus is effectively a refusal to appoint, which infringes on the National Assembly's constitutional right to elect Constitutional Court justices."
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