Includes Vito Rights... "Opposition Party May Request Re-nomination"
Special Prosecutor Law Expected to Pass This Month
The five opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, are introducing a new "Special Prosecutor Appointment Act for the Investigation of Obstruction and Concealment of the Truth Regarding the Death of Corporal Chae (Corporal Chae Special Prosecutor Act)" that includes a method for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to recommend a special prosecutor. This is interpreted as an effort to pressure the People Power Party.
Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 3rd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
Kang Yoo-jung, the Democratic Party floor spokesperson, told reporters after a floor countermeasure meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 3rd, "We plan to reintroduce the Corporal Chae Special Prosecutor Act around 1:30 p.m. today." However, the Reform New Party is reportedly excluded from the discussions on reintroducing the Corporal Chae Special Prosecutor Act.
The reintroduced Corporal Chae Special Prosecutor Act by the five opposition parties differs from the previous version in that it adopts a third-party special prosecutor recommendation method. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court will recommend four special prosecutors through the Speaker of the National Assembly, and the opposition parties will narrow down the final candidates from that list and recommend them to the President. The final candidates will be recommended with one each from the Democratic Party and non-negotiating groups. However, the allegation of a whistleblower operation, which was demanded by Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, has been excluded from the reintroduced special prosecutor act. The Democratic Party explained that since Han accepted the initially proposed third-party recommendation method and the People Power Party did not introduce a new special prosecutor act, there was no need to include the whistleblower operation allegations.
A veto right is also specified in the special prosecutor act. This is the right for the opposition parties to request a re-nomination if the special prosecutor recommended by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is deemed inappropriate. Spokesperson Kang said, "I thought the blind spot of having to accept the recommendation unconditionally when the Supreme Court only recommended unsuitable individuals was greater."
The Democratic Party has continuously pressured Leader Han and the People Power Party to introduce the Corporal Chae Special Prosecutor Act. Although Han promised during the party convention to introduce a special prosecutor act with a third-party recommendation method, more than a month after assuming leadership, the People Power Party has yet to present such an act. Park Chan-dae, the Democratic Party floor leader, emphasized at the Supreme Council meeting that day, "It is neither a duty to the people nor a way to avoid political distrust for the ruling party leader to easily break a promise made to the people," and urged, "Leader Han should clarify his position directly."
The opposition is expected to hold a plenary session this month to process the reintroduced Corporal Chae Special Prosecutor Act. Spokesperson Kang said, "There is a broad plan to pass it within September."
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