LKP sticks to assembly boycott

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon delivers a parliamentary speech on the government's additional budget urging the National Assembly to swiftly pass it Monday. The political parties failed to resume normal National Assembly activities after the main opposition Liberty Korea Party reversed its stance on resumingthe sessions. Yonhap

By Park Ji-won

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) continued to boycott National Assembly activities ― including the passage of a supplementary budget bill ― Monday, despite its floor leader earlier having talks to normalize operations with other party floor leaders.

The LKP decided to rejectits floor leader's conditional agreement made with her counterparts, which promiseda swift review and passage of the supplementary budget and other pending bills.

“The initial agreement was subject to full party approval, but LKP lawmakers called for having a clearer, more detailed one,”Rep. Na Kyung-won, floor leader of the LKP told reporters after a general meeting with party members.

Earlier, floor leaders, Reps. Lee In-young of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Na of the LKP and Oh Shin-hwan of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party(BMP) made public a tentative agreement on passing the supplementary budget and the other bills, andchoosing the leaders of several standing committees. The floor leaders also agreed to discuss the fast-tracked electoralreform and investigation rights bills“based on a consensus.”

Part of the agreement, included a review of spending on disaster management under the supplementary budget, and passing bills related to defamation of people who were part of the May 18 Democratization Movement, and the operation of a safety committee on nuclear power; while also agreeing to evaluate the government's economic performance.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon urged those lawmakers attending the Assembly to pass the budget promptly to “boost the economy” and “protect people from disasters.”

“The supplementary budget is to boost the country's economy by tackling downside risks to the domestic economy and protect our people's from national disasters.”

He pointed to low economic growth caused by falls in exports for six consecutive months,and sluggish investment which has resulted inthe unemployment of people in their 30s and 40s and an economic slowdown in manufacturing areas.

“The country's economy will get worse if we leave the situation unresolved. The economic growth rate will fall and the country's economic potential will be jeopardized. The demand on welfare services will increase, Lee said.”

He again urged the Assembly to do its job, saying,“I beg you again to swiftly review and pass the supplementary budget so the government can implement it by July at the latest.”

Lee's speech took place 60 days after the government submitted the 6.7 trillion won ($5.6 billion) supplementary budget bill in April.

The LKP's boycott is in protests of the four other political parties' fast-tracking bills on reform of the police and prosecution's powers and electoral districts.

It has been demanding the withdrawal of those billsand an Assembly hearing on the government's economic policiesin order for the party to normalize parliamentary operations.

The speech was supposed to be made at 10 a.m., but was delayed as LKP floor leader Na did notattenda meeting to discuss its schedule with other floor leaders.

The supplementary budget includes spending 4.5 trillion won to boost the economy and support people's livelihoods.Lee said the government woulduse this money to create better conditions for exports and increase support for start-ups, while increasing funding for troubled individuals and small firms suffering economic difficulties.

He added that the remaining 2.2 trillion won would be used to tackle fine dust pollution and prevent wildfires.