A police officer collects fingerprints from the doors of the main chamber of the National Assembly, Friday. Legislators of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) began a sit-in in the chamber to block the passage of contentious bills. / Yonhap |
Governing Party Is Planning to Railroad Contentious Bills
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Tension rose Friday after lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) occupied the main chamber of the National Assembly in an attempt to block the governing Grand National Party's (GNP) possible unilateral vote on contentious bills.
Following the DP's seizure of the legislature, the Assembly secretariat asked police to investigate what it called an illegal invasion of the building, which triggered an outcry from the opposition party.
Police collected fingerprints from the handles of entrance doors leading to the main chamber.
``If the secretariat files a complaint with the authorities, we will launch an investigation,'' a spokesman from Yeongdungpo Police Station said.
DP spokesman Choi Jae-sung lashed out at the move, saying it was ``pathetic'' to solve parliamentary conflicts with the help of the police.
The secretariat said that the DP lawmakers sneaked into the chamber and illegally barricaded themselves in using a ladder and chains.
``We asked police to investigate how they brought the tools into the Assembly building and who handled the doorknobs,'' it said, calling an end to the occupation.
The GNP expressed embarrassment over the incident as it had announced plans to pass the bills after Assembly speaker Kim Hyong-o invoked his right to table them. The conservative GNP controls the Assembly with 172 seats in the 299-member unicameral legislature, while the liberal DP has 83 seats.
The bills include a motion to ratify a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, which brought an unheard-of melee at the Assembly last week.
The ruling and opposition parties also differ over media-related revisions which seek to allow print media to own broadcasting networks and conglomerates to control broadcasters.
Opposition parties have also opposed a revision which bans activists from wearing masks during rallies and allows people to file class action complaints against protesters. They contend that the government is seeking to oppress civic groups.
Also included in the controversial bills is a GNP-proposed measure calling for stiffer punishments for Internet users who defame others by posting malicious comments. If passed, bloggers guilty of defamation will receive jail terms of up to two years or be fined up to $7,600.
DP Chairman Chung Sye-kyun said, ``We must stop evil initiatives by every possible means and at any cost.''
Floor leader Won Hye-young said, ``We are taking the last step, which even we are afraid of, for democracy.''
GNP officials said the ruling party's plans to pass the FTA and several other bills by the year-end remain unchanged.
The largest opposition party secretly sent two legislators, Shin Hak-yong and Kim Jae-kyun, to the main chamber last night to prepare for the occupation, party insiders said.
On Friday morning, 54 DP lawmakers seized the chamber and closed the doors while Won and others began a sit-in protest to block the passage of the bills.
Four lawmakers of the Democratic Labor Party, including party Chairman Kang Ki-kab, joined the sit-in.
The opposition alliance has objected to what it called ``bad MB initiatives,'' named after President Lee Myung-bak.
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