Parties Clash Again Over Bills
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Following four separate physical clashes inside the National Assembly building Saturday, Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o said Sunday that he would not invoke his right during the current session to put disputed bills to a vote without an inter-party compromise.
Kim's remarks were construed as his willingness to accept the largest opposition Democratic Party (DP)'s demand that he will not use his right to put 85 bills to a vote.
The governing Grand National Party (GNP) has called for the speaker to present the bills during the current session, which ends Jan. 8.
Kim called for unconditional dialogue between the governing and opposition parties.
DP Chairman Chung Sye-kyun said, ``If Speaker Kim vows not to invoke his right to put the 85 bills to a vote, we will immediately end our sit-in at the main chamber and begin to review the bills with the governing party.''
The DP has objected to the passage of a motion to ratify a free trade agreement between South Korea and the United States (KORUS FTA) and seven media-related bills that critics say would allow conservative newspaper companies and chaebol to control broadcasting networks.
The opposition has called for more relief programs to assist local farmers and companies, expected to suffer losses if the trade pact goes into effect.
The conservative GNP has 172 seats in the 299-member unicameral legislature, enough pass any bills, except for a revision of the Constitution, without the participation of opposition legislators. The liberal DP has 83 seats.
Assembly security personnel failed to end the sit-in at the main chamber during four attempts between Saturday and Sunday.
Chung proposed that of the 85 bills, 58 be reviewed for passage through a compromise during the current session, with the remaining 27 should be discussed in February.
He claimed it was wrong for the GNP to call on Kim to invoke his right to table the bills and that speaker was under the control of the presidential office.
The GNP reiterated that it has no intention to talk with the DP unless it stops the sit-in. However, Lim Tae-hee, chief policymaker of the GNP, indicated later that his party would not stick to the Jan. 8 deadline to pass the bills.
DP lawmakers and aides have been occupying the legislature since Dec. 19 to block the GNP's possible unilateral passage of the contentious bills.
Speaker Kim said, ``If the parties make more effort, there is no reason for them not to produce an agreement. I urge party negotiators to conclude negotiations on their own.''
He added, ``I have refrained from invoking my right to present the bills as much as possible and I will continue to do that. But the nation and the public will see losses if the Assembly paralysis continues, so I will have to make a decision soon.''
Following Saturday's clashes between DP officials and Assembly security personnel, the two sides had a further physical struggle Sunday as guards attempted to break up the DP's sit-in. During the scuffles, about 20 were injured.
Last Tuesday, Kim exercised his right to call on Assembly security personnel to restore order at the legislature.