Witness Exit and Outburst at Legislation Committee... Decision for 'In-House Struggle'
Reason Includes Lack of Suitable Cards for Negotiating Assembly Formation
On the 24th, the People Power Party decided through a party caucus meeting to accept seven standing committee chair positions, including Foreign Affairs and Unification, National Defense, Planning and Finance, Political Affairs, Women and Family, Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Venture Businesses, and Intelligence. The ruling and opposition parties are expected to hold a plenary session as early as the 27th to finalize the committee organization. Why did the People Power Party, which had previously taken a stance of not attending the National Assembly unless they secured either the Judiciary Committee or the Steering Committee, make this decision? First, it appears that the attitude of the Democratic Party lawmakers during the 'Special Prosecutor Law Legislative Hearing for Chae Sang-byeong' on the 21st influenced this decision.
Shouting at Hearing Witnesses, Ordering Forced Removal
A People Power Party floor official said, "Last Friday at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the Democratic Party's barbaric operation of the National Assembly seemed to have been a trigger," adding, "It was a demonstration of how the opposition without the ruling party would continue to operate the National Assembly." He further explained, "It is true that many lawmakers were influenced, and the Democratic Party's attitude at the last Judiciary Committee meeting affected the decision to accept even seven standing committee chair positions." During the party's emergency committee meeting that day, members also voiced concerns about the Democratic Party lawmakers' behavior in the Judiciary Committee.
At the legislative hearing held solely by the opposition on the 21st at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop, former Deputy Minister of National Defense Shin Beom-cheol, and former 1st Marine Division Commander Lim Seong-geun refused to take the witness oath. Judiciary Committee Chairperson Jeong Cheong-rae stated, "If a witness refuses to take the oath or gives false testimony, there is an obligation to file charges according to the National Assembly Act." Chairperson Jeong scolded key witnesses who refused to testify, including former Minister Lee, former Division Commander Lim, and former Presidential Secretary for Public Discipline Lee Si-won, and ordered a '10-minute removal' from the hearing.
Floor Leader Choo Kyung-ho demanded the Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-shik to: ▲ ensure all standing committee chairs inform witnesses of their right to refuse the oath and testimony ▲ strictly warn Judiciary Committee Chairperson Jeong Cheong-rae for ordering a 10-minute removal without legal grounds ▲ caution lawmaker Park Ji-won for mocking a removed witness without requesting a procedural speech ▲ warn all 300 lawmakers against abusing parliamentary immunity ▲ and issue a caution to Judiciary Committee Chairperson Jeong Cheong-rae for attempting to prohibit a witness, the Minister of Justice, from leaving after the hearing while verbally abusing them.
"Negotiations on Committee Organization Are Meaningless"
However, above all, the People Power Party's decision to accept seven standing committee chair positions seems to have been influenced by the judgment that there would be no progress in negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties on committee organization. The floor leaders and deputy floor leaders of both parties held several meetings and negotiations but repeatedly said, "We could not reach an agreement." After the party caucus meeting, Floor Leader Choo told reporters, "Until the very end, our party made dozens of repeated proposals with patience for bipartisan cooperation, but the Democratic Party consistently rejected them outright," adding, "We judged that negotiations on committee organization with the Democratic Party, which recklessly pushes forward without fearing the people despite holding an overwhelming majority of seats, are now meaningless." He had continued negotiations, proposing that the Judiciary Committee chair and the Steering Committee chair be alternated yearly between the ruling and opposition parties, but ultimately decided to fight within the floor and expressed his intention to resign as floor leader.
The People Power Party had previously refused to participate in National Assembly schedules, including standing committees, in response to the Democratic Party's unilateral election of standing committee chairs. As an alternative, they created 16 special committees to address livelihood issues. This special committee politics is expected to continue alongside the seven standing committees. A party leadership official said in a phone call, "The special committees function as party-government consultative bodies and can operate alongside the standing committees for the time being." The Medical Reform Special Committee plans to visit Gangbuk Samsung Hospital on the 25th to hold a meeting with hospital officials to respond to the professors' strike situation.
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