Democrats to Return to National Assembly
By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
Ending months of ``on-the-street'' demonstrations, the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) announced Sunday its decision to return to the National Assembly to resume negotiations over controversial bills.
``We are willing to resume talks with the GNP to normalize the National Assembly,'' DP Chairman Chung Sye-kyun said Sunday. ``Our return is testament to the party's determination to block the GNP's prospective railroading of media-related bills.''
``Our top priority will be to seek enactment of bills for aiding the people's livelihood,'' he added.
The DP is expected to resume its legislative duties by attending the plenary session scheduled for Wednesday. The forthcoming session will mainly deal with the question of extending peacekeeping operations in Lebanon.
``We perceive the DP's decision as appropriate and hope for fruitful talks in resolving urgent social concerns, including job security for non-regular workers,'' Rep. Cho Yoon-sun, spokeswoman of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) said Sunday.
The DP's announcement coincides with the end of the 49-day mourning period for late President Roh Moo-hyun. Roh was affiliated with the Democratic Party. During the mourning period, the DP has focused its attack on President Lee Myung-bak and the governing camp for the alleged political assassination of the former liberal head of state.
Meanwhile, the GNP and opposition parties have been engaged in a intense debate over bills related to revising working conditions for the nation's 5.38 million temporary workers and expanding print media ownership of broadcasters.
Political parties will resume talks early this week to resolve their differences over key legislations. Senior negotiators of three major parties will meet today and the National Assembly Committee on Environment and Labor will meet with the labor minister Tuesday to discuss reinforcing job security of the non-regular workforce. An Assembly committee for broadcasting and communications will also continue to work out their differences over revising media-related bills.
However, unless these discussions yield compromises, the GNP has made it clear to railroad media-related bills around July 22~24. The extracurricular session will end on July 25.
National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyung-o also hinted that he may use his authority to table the media bills for a vote.
``If a certain political faction acts as a hindrance to settling legislations with profound national and industrial implications, I am willing to use my authority to present the bills to the National Assembly.'' Kim said Sunday.
Against public criticism over dereliction of legislative duty, democrats have refused to take part in the session, originally scheduled for June 1, unless their requirements were met by the governing party and Cheong Wa Dae.
The DP has requested, among other conditions, that the current administration apologize for the prosecution's unusually harsh investigation into a bribery case which they believe lea to Roh's suicide on May 23.
Some DP hardliners are still adamant on seeing their conditions met by the GNP, which may prolong the parliamentary deadlock.
``Our established position on the DP's so-called `five conditions' is that they are simply unacceptable. The DP's attendance to the Assembly sessions should be conducted on an unconditional basis,'' a GNP insider said.
Some GNP lawmakers are cautious about an ``unconditional return'' of the DP to the plenary session, in case its purpose is to serve as an impediment to the enactment of key bills campaigned by the GNP.
``The DP's main purpose for joining the plenary session should not be centered on intercepting legislation related to job security and media cross-ownership,'' GNP floor leader. Ahn Sang-soo said.