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| Ruling Saenuri Party representatives, including Chairman Kim Moo-sung, second from left front row, urge opposition parties to join efforts to pass pending economic and labor bills during a party meeting held at the National Assembly, Wednesday. Cheong Wa Dae indicated that President Park Geun-hye may exercise her right to pass the bills without parliamentary approval if the opposition parties do not cooperate. / Yonhap |
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| National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa speaks during a press conference at his office at the National Assembly, Wednesday. |
By Yi Whan-woo
National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa rejected a call from Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday, to exercise his authority to call a parliamentary vote on a set of pending economic and labor bills proposed by the government.
Chung, a former ruling Saenuri Party member, said the country was not in a "state of emergency" as claimed by the presidential office, which is apparently unilaterally seeking parliamentary endorsement of the bills that relate to labor reforms and the economy.
The government proposed the bills in line with President Park Geun-hye's efforts to create jobs and revitalize the sluggish economy. Park has been urging parliament to approve the bills by the end of this year.
"A parliamentary speaker can use his or her authority to put certain bills to a vote in a national emergency, and I can't agree when it comes to claims that our economy is in such circumstances," Chung said during a press conference at his office in Yeouido, Seoul.
"Cheong Wa Dae asked me whether there are legal grounds for me to use my power regarding the bills. And let me assure you that I can't exercise it for legal reasons, not because I personally don't want to."
Chung cited Article 85 of the National Assembly Law. This stipulates that the speaker can only table a vote on specific bills in times of a natural disaster, a state of emergency or when rival parties agree for him or her to do so.
He criticized Hyun Ki-hwan, Park's senior secretary for political affairs, for making a "cheap and inappropriate" argument regarding Chung's move to use his power to put a proposed plan for redrawing parliamentary constituency boundaries to a vote.
The presidential secretary demanded Chung also include the economy-related bills in his plan to exercise his authority, claiming the speaker was "only concerned with the interests of lawmakers."
According to the parliamentary chief, a prompt decision over the new electoral constituency plan is crucial by the end of the year with the general election set to take place in April.
Meanwhile, ruling Saenuri Party Chairman Kim Moo-sung said he will review if it is possible for the President to issue an emergency order for the pending bills to take legal effect immediately.
Citing Constitutional Law Article 76, Kim pointed out that a presidential order can be made for the pending bills to be made effective if the President makes the judgment that a parliamentary session for approval of the bills is urgently required, but the Assembly is failing to do so.
During a meeting with economy-related ministers at Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday, Park called for an economic contingency plan to be drawn up to brace against a possible crisis.
The President said that the economy could face uncertainty amid a possible increase of fluctuations in international financial markets.
She said the National Assembly should approve the economy-related bills, noting "it should not commit sins against future generations."
"The precious time and lives of young jobseekers can't be retrieved if a parliamentary endorsement is not made," She said.
However, Park's demand has sparked controversy over Cheong Wa Dae's possible violation of the separation of powers among the legislature, the executive and judicial branches of a democratic country.
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