Legislators prepare for 'warfare' as negotiations fall through

SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Yonhap) -- Legislators, aides and security officials readied themselves for violent physical collisions in parliament on Tuesday, as the parliamentary chief exercised his authority to break opposition lawmakers' sit-in and put pending bills to a vote.

National Assembly Kim Hyong-o ordered the main opposition Democratic Party (DP)
to end its five-day occupation of the legislature's main chamber, saying, "Final
measures have been taken." Kim's decision came shortly after the final round of
partisan negotiations on Assembly normalization ruptured.
"Dear colleagues, I have been forced to take the final step in breaking the
deadlock of the parliament," Kim said in a statement. "All rooms will be emptied
and the parliament will be ready to get back to work."
Kim has the authority to ask police to remove the lawmakers by force. About 100
security officials will be mobilized to clear out objecting lawmakers.
The liberal DP is seeking to prevent President Lee Myung-bak's conservative party
from passing a US$30 billion trade pact with the United States and other
market-oriented bills, including media ownership deregulation. The party says
South Korea should wait until the U.S. Congress approves the free trade agreement
before voting on the legislation.
Occupying the main chamber is the party's desperate attempt to stop its ruling
rival, which controls 172 seats in the 299-member unicameral house, from passing
the bills unilaterally. The DP holds 83 seats.
"Heavy consequences will fall upon the Lee government and the ruling party should
our voice be ignored," DP floor leader Won Hye-young told reporters after talks
with his ruling counterpart fell through. "The people stand by our side."
The two-day negotiations came after a violent brawl -- during which legislators
hammered down committee room doors and sprayed fire extinguishers -- that made
headlines inside and outside the country last week.
Criticizing its opponent for being "stubborn and obstinate," the ruling Grand
National Party (GNP) vowed to go ahead and settle 85 "key bills" it selected
before the end of the year.
"We have made enough concessions and did everything we could," said GNP whip Hong
Joon-pyo. "Talks are off, but bills will be passed. No more arguments on that."
The occupation of the parliament has been threatening to deepen the paralysis of
South Korea's economy, which is on the verge of its first recession in a decade.
Dozens of crucial economic rescue plans have been held hostage amid the partisan
warfare.
Opposition legislators have been camping out at the main Assembly hall since Dec.
26, calling government-led bills "anti-democratic" and "unfair to the
underprivileged."
Of the more than 2,600 bills that have been introduced to the legislature since
it convened in May, fewer than 300 have been voted on so far. Some 300 will be
automatically discarded at the end of 2008.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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