National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik urged both ruling and opposition parties on July 14 to finalize negotiations on the assembly's composition before Constitution Day. Despite a meeting of floor leaders and deputy floor leaders under Cho's leadership, no agreement was reached.
After the meeting, Han Byung-do, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, told reporters, "We could not narrow our differences on two key issues: the recommendation process for a special prosecutor related to the infringement of voting rights and the allocation of standing committee positions."
When asked about plans if an agreement is not reached by the deadline set by Cho, Han stated, "If it is confirmed that the People Power Party lacks the will to finalize the assembly's composition, there will inevitably come a moment when we must make another decision for the people and livelihoods."
In contrast, Jeong Jeom-sik, the floor leader of the People Power Party, expressed frustration, saying, "It feels like we are talking to a wall," and criticized the Democratic Party's passive attitude. He added, "I am very skeptical about future negotiations and am seriously contemplating whether to continue discussions."
Jeong also expressed regret over the stalled negotiations, stating, "At a time when we should be representing the voices of the people regarding laws such as the Criminal Procedure Act and the Special Prosecutor Act for the National Election Commission, I sincerely apologize for the slow progress in the assembly composition negotiations." He mentioned that there is also skepticism about the breakdown of checks and balances.
He proposed to the Democratic Party that starting from the 23rd National Assembly, the ruling party should hold the position of National Assembly Speaker while the opposition party selects the chairs of standing committees, allowing for a sequential selection process. He indicated that if the Democratic Party accepts this proposal, he would consider relinquishing the position of chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. However, Han dismissed this as "not a meaningful discussion and merely a unilateral claim by Jeong."
Meanwhile, the National Assembly Speaker's office hinted that if the assembly's composition is not finalized by July 16, the day before Constitution Day, a plenary session could proceed without the People Power Party. Jang Hyun-joo, the spokesperson for the Speaker's office, stated, "Nothing has been decided yet," but added, "If the assembly's composition is not completed before Constitution Day, we will have no choice but to consider the schedule for the plenary session."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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