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| Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) floor leader Lee In-young speaks during a press conference over the issue of 2019-nCoV (COVID-19) spread at the National Assembly, Sunday. Yonhap |
By Jung Da-min
Less than two months ahead of the April 15 general election, the COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) epidemic has become top of the agenda in politics, and is expected to be one of the game-changers in the elections.
The epidemic has provided an opportunity for the opposition parties to attack the ruling bloc by pointing to the government's "incapability" in dealing with the situation. But if the spread of the virus slows and the situation improves, it could give the advantage to the ruling party and backfire on the opposition.
For now, the political prospects of using the virus look dim for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), as the number of patients has kept rising since last week due to a "super-spread event" at a branch of the Shincheonji Church in Daegu.
The government and the ruling party have faced growing criticism for failing to prevent the spread in local communities while promoting the country's "excellent" quarantine system.
The main opposition United Future Party (UFP) ― a recently-launched party comprised of members of the former main opposition Liberty Korea Party and the minor opposition New Conservative Party and Onward for Future 4.0 ― has stepped up criticism against President Moon Jae-in for his "hasty optimism," saying such an attitude had lowered people's level of caution over the virus.
"During the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in 2015, President Moon Jae-in was the leader of the (then-main opposition) New Politics Alliance for Democracy and said 'the nationwide spread of the virus itself indicates the crisis is at the red alert level' and 'the government's incompetence was ruining the country's national image,'" UFP spokeswoman Kim Hyun-ah said in a statement Sunday.
"President Moon said the government would achieve both a quarantine and boost the economy, but if the government continues like this, it will achieve neither," a second UFP spokesman, Lee Chang-soo, said.
The UFP also demanded the government expand the entry ban on foreigners who have visited China's Hubei Province to include other regions of China, condemning the government for caring too much about Beijing's reaction.
In response, the ruling DPK is making all-out efforts to contain the outbreak. It called on the government to submit a bill for a supplementary budget for more quarantine efforts.
"A sufficient supplementary budget should be provided so that the authorities can conduct extensive, bold and preemptive measures while advancing the quarantine system," DPK floor leader Lee In-young said in a press conference at the National Assembly, Sunday. "The supplementary budget should include special supportive measures for local communities to save local economies from suffering irreparable damage. The timing is important for policies and a budget."
Lee said the National Assembly is ready to pass the bill once the government submits it as the UFP leader Hwang Kyo-ahn expressed support for such a plan and the National Assembly will also form a special committee to discuss the virus issue soon.
Some politicians have suggested delaying the general election out of fear that mass gathering for campaigns and voting could spread the virus even further.
Minor opposition Bareunmirae Party head Sohn Hak-kyu said Friday that the nation may have to consider postponing the April 15 general election if necessary.
According to the Election Act, a president can decide to delay presidential and general elections in the event of force majeure occurrences.
The National Election Commission said it was not considering a delay, although it is up to the President, adding it was focusing on what hygiene measures to implement at polling stations.
