DPK lawmakers propose bill to give National Assembly more clout
Rep. Cho Eung-chon of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea / Korea Times file
Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) proposed a bill aimed at strengthening National Assembly oversight of the government Tuesday despite objections from the ruling People Power Party (PPP).
Rep. Cho Eung-chon and 13 other DPK lawmakers proposed revising the National Assembly Act in a way that empowers Assembly standing committees to request revisions to presidential decrees or enforcement ordinances if they deem them to be incompatible with the law.
"The National Assembly, as a constitutional institution with legislative power, has the responsibility to regulate the content of administrative legislation," they said in the proposal.
They claimed that administrative legislation, such as presidential decrees, can be abused by the government to distort the purpose of laws or restrict people's freedom and rights, which should be done through Assembly legislation.
Critics, however, said the amendment, if passed, could give the DPK, which controls the National Assembly with 170 out of 299 seats, too much of a say in government affairs, thus hurting the principle of the separation of administrative and legislative powers.
The ruling PPP accused the DPK of attempting to interfere with government affairs.
President Yoon Suk-yeol also said Monday the move could be "unconstitutional."
"An enforcement ordinance is meant to be the president's decision, and the way to resolve problems with enforcement ordinances is to follow the means and steps stipulated in the Constitution," he said. (Yonhap)