Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party stand around the seat of Rep. Lee Byung-suk, chairman of the National Assembly’s Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Committee, to protest the unilateral passage of a bill on a four- river refurbishment project. / Courtesy of Dailian |
By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter
The National Assembly's Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Committee, Tuesday, endorsed next year's spending plan for a four-river refurbishment project without putting it to a vote.
The committee also passed other spending plans of the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs without a vote.
Rep. Lee Byung-suk, chairman of the committee, instantly brought the gavel down without giving any chance for opposing views, after only asking, "Does anyone disagree?"
Despite outcries from opposition lawmakers, Lee, who belongs to the governing Grand National Party (GNP), declared the passage of the bills during the budget deliberation.
Opposition lawmakers, who were caught off guard, expressed their anger against Chairman Lee's unilateral decision. But Lee simply walked away.
The chairman argued such a decision was necessary to meet the deadline.
"If we fail to reach an agreement today, the Assembly will have no option but to pass the government's original proposal," Lee said.
The budget proposal, scaled at 29.5 trillion won, will be put to a vote at a full session of the National Assembly after being reviewed by an ad hoc budget deliberation committee.
The ministry originally proposed a smaller budget of 25.6 trillion won for its 2010 spending.
Of 29.5 trillion won, 3.5 trillion won has been set aside for the four-river restoration project.
The main opposition Democratic Party claimed the budget for the controversial river project should be slashed to 1 trillion won.
The DP boycotted the plenary session of the Assembly in the afternoon to protest the unilateral passage.
leeth@koreatimes.co.kr
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