The ruling People Power Party(PPP) has slammed the main opposition Democratic Party(DP)’s renewed push for the dismissal of interior minister Lee Sang-min over the deadly Itaewon crowd crush, calling it a “deplorable” political power play.

PPP chief spokesperson Park Jeong-ha on Wednesday conveyed his party’s response after the DP, which holds a majority in parliament, decided to push for the dismissal motion during a parliamentary plenary session this week. 

Park argued that the move shows the DP is neither interested in fact-finding nor willing to prevent a recurrence of a similar tragedy through a bipartisan parliamentary inspection but only seeks to expand political strife and seize the upper hand. 

The PPP spokesperson noted the narrowing window for passing the next year’s budget bill with the ongoing regular parliamentary session to wrap up on Friday, and accused the DP of linking the budget bill passage to the dismissal motion. 

The DP initially introduced the motion last Wednesday and sought for its passage later that week but National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo refused to hold a plenary session as he called for a bipartisan agreement on the matter. 

If the motion is floored as an agenda item during Thursday's plenary session, it can be approved on Friday.

The DP on Wednesday also decided that, should the president veto the dismissal proposal, it will go on to submit a motion to impeach Lee.