Gov`t Reshuffle Plan in Doubt

Although President Lee Myung-bak promised to conduct a major personnel reshuffling so as to meet the people’s demand on Sunday, sources close to the administration say there might be unexpected results surrounding presidential chief of staff Yu Woo-ik and Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, who have been considered major targets of the reshuffling plan.

A source close to Cheong Wa Dae told reporters yesterday, “The outline of the personnel reshuffling will be released this week.” He said it could be as early as tomorrow, when the results of the beef negotiation with the United States are expected to come out.

▽ No alternatives, no change

A source at the ruling party said, “(The president) may feel it would be difficult to change both the prime minister and the chief of staff.”

He added, “If both of them are replaced, (the president) will have temporary difficulties running the government. The personnel reshuffling plan may depend on the results of additional negotiations on U.S. beef. But, it’s possible (for Lee) to replace only one of them.”

Some lawmakers at the ruling camp even bring up math formulas such as “2-1=1, 1-0=1” to refer to the reshuffle.

“2-1=1” refers to the government’s plan to replace one of the two people who are competing against or complementing each other so as to help the government run smoothly. “1-0=1” means its plan to let incumbents remain in office when there are no eligible successors.

It can be understood as two scenarios: 1) The government will replace either the prime minister or the chief of staff; 2) The government will let Prime Minister Han stay in office if Sim Dae-pyung, the head of the Liberty Forward Party, and former North Jeolla Province Governor Kang Hyun-wook, who are considered as candidates for the prime minister post, decline to take the position or turn out to have problems.

In other words, if the presidential secretary for economic affairs is replaced, the finance minister will survive, or vice versa. The same principle can be applied to the presidential secretary for education, science and cultural affairs and the education minister, and the presidential secretary for foreign affairs and the foreign minister.

Also, if the government cannot find qualified successors, it is highly likely to allow incumbents to stay in office.

▽ Opposition of the GNP and conservatives

However, conservatives including members of the ruling Grand National Party have criticized the government’s plan, saying, “The public supports personnel reshuffling. Recently, the public’s participation in the candlelight vigils has a bit decreased. Nevertheless, if the government releases a lukewarm reshuffling plan, it may invite a long-lasting defeat for the president himself and conservatives.”

At the GNP general meeting, floor leader Hong Joon-pyo expressed his expectation, saying, “The government will successfully deal with the beef issue, begin talks with the people, reshuffle its Cabinet and overhaul its policies. The government is trying to carefully select qualified Cabinet members so as not to provoke public sentiments.”

In his informal statement, Rep. Shim Jae-chul said, “The presidential chief of staff and the prime minister should be included in the reshuffling plan. If they continue stay at their current posts, the effect of the government’s reshuffling will halve.”

Rep. Lim Doo-sung also said, “Replacement of a couple of senior officials is not personnel reshuffling. The government can reshuffle its personnel only when it assigns qualified experts to relevant posts. The president should carefully choose his secretaries and ministers.”

The Citizens United for Better Society, a conservative non-profit civic organization, announced the declaration to settle recent difficulties at a restaurant in central Seoul. In the declaration, the organization said, “Recent crisis appears since the people have lost their confidence in the Lee Myung-bak government and distrust the government. The government should release effective plans to reshuffle its Cabinet and policies that can be understood by the people.”