Opposition leader offers conditional end to parliament sit-in

SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Yonhap) -- The leader of the main opposition party offered Sunday
to end a sit-in of parliament if the head of the assembly does not try to put
scores of bills to vote, but the ruling party rejected the proposal.
Lawmakers from the Democratic Party (DP) have been occupying the National
Assembly's main hall in a bid to stop the Grand National Party (GNP) from
railroading through some 80 bills, including a disputed free trade pact with the
U.S., before the current session ends on Jan. 8.
Scuffles broke out Saturday as the assembly's secretariat tried to disperse the
sit-in, leaving scores of DP members and security guards slightly injured.
Earlier on Sunday, security guards again attempted to clear the protesters, but
no clashes were reported.
"If the GNP guarantees the assembly speaker will not put the bills before a
plenary session, we will end the protest sit-in and start negotiations," DP
Chairman Chung Se-kyun told reporters.
The speaker of the assembly has the power to put legislation bills to vote if the
governing party and the opposition camp fail to reach agreement. The current
speaker of the National Assembly is considered pro-ruling party.
Chung proposed that both parties discuss only non-pressing bills within the
current session and put off the review of crucial issues till the next sitting,
including the ratification of the free trade pact with the U.S.
The next session is expected to begin in February. The GNP enjoys a majority of
172 seats in the 299-seat assembly, while the DP holds 82 seats.
The ruling party, however, turned down Chung's proposal, saying it would talk
with the opposition only after DP lawmakers leave the main chamber.
"We cannot discuss and vote on the bills because opposition members illegally
occupy the National Assembly. The DP should first put its sit-in to an end," GNP
spokeswoman Cho Yoon-sun said.
National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o urged both parties to return to the
negotiating table to resolve the deadlock. "The parties should start negotiations
unconditionally in order not to disappoint the people any more," Kim said in a
statement.
"As assembly speaker, I have refrained from exercising my authority to put bills
to vote and will continue do so," he said. "However, I have no choice but to make
a solitary decision before history if parliament remains crippled."
A close aid to Kim said his remarks could be construed as hinting that he would
not put the bills to vote independently before the current extraordinary session
ends.
The ruling party is determined to pass the bills before the end of the current
parliamentary session, saying they are crucial to helping the country deal with a
fast slowing economy and easing the public's hardships.
The parliament's secretariat warned that it would bring criminal charges against
DP members if they continue the illegal occupation of the main chamber.
The parties have been colliding over the passage of the bills, especially the
free trade pact with America. Opposition lawmakers demand the government come up
with measures to protect farmers and local companies from a surge in imports from
the U.S.
Another bone of contention is a bill on media ownership that would permit
newspapers and large companies to own broadcast stations. The DP claims the bill
would give the government too much control over broadcasters.
Last month, opposition lawmakers sledgehammered their way into a committee room
where ruling party lawmakers were discussing the free trade pact, excluding
opposition legislators.
brk@yna.co.kr
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