Opposition to Start 100-Day Street Campaign
By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
The major opposition Democratic Party Friday vowed to start a 100-day street campaign across the country to denounce what it calls the illegal railroading of a media bill which allows entry of printed media into broadcasting and cable TV networks.
Its Chairman Chung Sye-kyun tendered his resignation from his Assembly seat to Speaker Kim Hyung-o over the affair on Friday. His colleague Rep. Chun Jung-bae also said he would quit his lawmaker post. Former MBC President and union leader Choi Moon-soon quit his seat. The other DP lawmakers submitted letters of resignation to the chairman.
The opposition said the governing party committed ``voting fraud'' because the media bill was voted on twice. It argued that re-voting on a single bill is null and void but the governing camp discounted the claim as a political gesture.
``We have acquired video footage from broadcasters showing that more than 10 GNP lawmakers engaged in proxy voting," said Rep. Park Jie-won in a radio show, Friday.
``A recent survey showed that 69.4 percent of the public believed the vote was invalid," DP floor leader Lee Kang-rae said.
Initially, voting for the broadcasting bill fell short of the required number of voters, but Assembly Vice Speaker Lee Yoon-sung called for a second vote to ram through the bill.
A coalition of three opposition parties filed an injunction with the Constitutional Court, Thursday, to nullify the law.
The DP said it would cross the country to inform people of the vote rigging. During daytime, a campaign will be made to collect 10 million signatures, and during the night candlelight vigils will be made to realize the goal of invalidating the ``poisonous'' media bill. It will also wage a legal battle to nullify the bill, it said.
``Our first priority is to nullify the bill, which has no basis for legal justification," said Chairman Chung. But it is unlikely that Speaker Kim will accept his resignation.
``The DP will continue to fight for democracy, people's livelihoods and inter-Korean reconciliation," he said as he ended his hunger strike and signaled a round of protests inside and outside the Assembly.
Ahead of the regular Assembly session in September, the DP plans to stage joint protests, with politicians, journalists, civic activists and citizens backing their cause. The party is urging Speaker Kim and Vice Speaker Lee to quit their posts over their ``undemocratic'' operation of the legislature.
However, the governing Grand National Party (GNP) called on the DP to exercise restraint.
``Such actions do not benefit the people. We urge the DP to focus on policies for improving the people's livelihoods," GNP floor leader Rep. Ahn Sang-soo said.
The GNP will prepare for the regular session, particularly to handle the bills to expand job security for non-regular workers, according to GNP spokeswoman Rep. Cho Yoon-sun.