ID :
48187
Sat, 02/28/2009 - 12:43
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/48187
The shortlink copeid
opposition parties-parliamentary deadlock
SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's opposition parties, led by the Democratic Party, warned Saturday that they would take "last" actions if the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) puts controversial bills to a plenary session
vote.
"Should the GNP tries to put the bills to plenary votes, we will not be able to
help taking 'last and final' actions to stop it," the Democratic Party, the
progressive Democratic Labor Party (DLP), the Liberty Forward Party, said in a
joint statement.
The National Assembly on Thursday again fell into turmoil as the GNP introduced a
set of controversial bills that would among other things, allow newspaper
companies to own a stake in broadcasters.
Opposition parties and media industry workers are fiercely opposed to the bills,
contending that the reforms would only lead to monopoly of the media market by a
handful of companies and thus undermine media criticism of the government.
The Democratic Party and other opposition parties have threatened that they will
use any means necessary to block the media bills and others, and refuse to
cooperate with the GNP's efforts to formulate a supplementary budget aimed at
tackling a deepening economic slump.
The ruling Grand National Party holds 172 seats in the 299-member National
Assembly compared with 82 for the Democratic Party.
The opposition parties also urged National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyung-o not to
invoke his authority to put the contentious bills directly to a plenary session
vote.
On Friday, Kim said it may introduce the bills, including the ones related to
economic revival, directly to the main floor.
In December last year, opposition members used a sledgehammer and fire
extinguishers to break into a barricaded parliamentary room to stop the GNP from
submitting the U.S. trade pact for preliminary approval and delay other sweeping
reform bills.
The National Assembly has made several previous attempts to approve the U.S.
trade pact, all of which failed due to raucous protests by opposition lawmakers.
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)
vote.
"Should the GNP tries to put the bills to plenary votes, we will not be able to
help taking 'last and final' actions to stop it," the Democratic Party, the
progressive Democratic Labor Party (DLP), the Liberty Forward Party, said in a
joint statement.
The National Assembly on Thursday again fell into turmoil as the GNP introduced a
set of controversial bills that would among other things, allow newspaper
companies to own a stake in broadcasters.
Opposition parties and media industry workers are fiercely opposed to the bills,
contending that the reforms would only lead to monopoly of the media market by a
handful of companies and thus undermine media criticism of the government.
The Democratic Party and other opposition parties have threatened that they will
use any means necessary to block the media bills and others, and refuse to
cooperate with the GNP's efforts to formulate a supplementary budget aimed at
tackling a deepening economic slump.
The ruling Grand National Party holds 172 seats in the 299-member National
Assembly compared with 82 for the Democratic Party.
The opposition parties also urged National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyung-o not to
invoke his authority to put the contentious bills directly to a plenary session
vote.
On Friday, Kim said it may introduce the bills, including the ones related to
economic revival, directly to the main floor.
In December last year, opposition members used a sledgehammer and fire
extinguishers to break into a barricaded parliamentary room to stop the GNP from
submitting the U.S. trade pact for preliminary approval and delay other sweeping
reform bills.
The National Assembly has made several previous attempts to approve the U.S.
trade pact, all of which failed due to raucous protests by opposition lawmakers.
sam@yna.co.kr
(END)
