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The 19th National Assembly is opening its first regular session Monday for what is expected to be 100 days of heavy political wrangling over reform bills, special audits and attacks on presidential candidates.
On the surface, both parties vow to devote their legislative activities to improving public livelihood.
But observers warn the parties will take advantage of the session, held just months ahead of the Dec. 19 presidential election, to slam opposing presidential candidates and hinder each other’s implementation of popular bills, thus crippling the parliament’s annual audit and the budget review for 2013.
The ruling Saenuri Party floor leader Lee Hahn-koo pledged to pass laws it promised in the April general elections, while implementing Assembly reform measures and adjusting laws to improve public safety.
The main opposition Democratic United Party floor leader Park Jie-won, on the other hand, vowed to highlight the maladministration by the Lee Myung-bak government.
“This Assembly will be one that shows the end of the Lee Myung-bak administration and heralds the birth of a new government (by the opposition forces),” Park told Yonhap News.
The DUP plans to zero in on inter-Korean relations, economic democratization, tuition fee cuts and problems associated with the Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation through government interpellation sessions.
The opposition claims the Jeongsu Foundation is still controlled by Saenuri Party presidential candidate Rep. Park Geun-hye. Reports have suggested the foundation was forcibly taken by former President Park Chung-hee, the late father of Rep. Park. The DUP is slated to finalize its presidential candidate later this month.
The DUP is also preparing to expose wrongdoings by the Lee administration through special audits on Lee’s retirement home scandal and on illegal surveillance of civilians.
The Saenuri vows to fight off the DUP offensives, but is mainly working to portray itself as a “responsible ruling party” by concentrating on legislative tasks.
“We have already promised to make this 19th Assembly an Assembly that is different from the past, to become a reformed one,” Lee told Yonhap News.
Upon the opening ceremony on Monday, the session will kick off with speeches by the heads of each negotiating party, followed by interpellation session until Sept. 11.
The government will present the 2013 budget plan on Oct. 4, while the state audit will be conducted on Aug. 5-22.
By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)
On the surface, both parties vow to devote their legislative activities to improving public livelihood.
But observers warn the parties will take advantage of the session, held just months ahead of the Dec. 19 presidential election, to slam opposing presidential candidates and hinder each other’s implementation of popular bills, thus crippling the parliament’s annual audit and the budget review for 2013.
The ruling Saenuri Party floor leader Lee Hahn-koo pledged to pass laws it promised in the April general elections, while implementing Assembly reform measures and adjusting laws to improve public safety.
The main opposition Democratic United Party floor leader Park Jie-won, on the other hand, vowed to highlight the maladministration by the Lee Myung-bak government.
“This Assembly will be one that shows the end of the Lee Myung-bak administration and heralds the birth of a new government (by the opposition forces),” Park told Yonhap News.
The DUP plans to zero in on inter-Korean relations, economic democratization, tuition fee cuts and problems associated with the Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation through government interpellation sessions.
The opposition claims the Jeongsu Foundation is still controlled by Saenuri Party presidential candidate Rep. Park Geun-hye. Reports have suggested the foundation was forcibly taken by former President Park Chung-hee, the late father of Rep. Park. The DUP is slated to finalize its presidential candidate later this month.
The DUP is also preparing to expose wrongdoings by the Lee administration through special audits on Lee’s retirement home scandal and on illegal surveillance of civilians.
The Saenuri vows to fight off the DUP offensives, but is mainly working to portray itself as a “responsible ruling party” by concentrating on legislative tasks.
“We have already promised to make this 19th Assembly an Assembly that is different from the past, to become a reformed one,” Lee told Yonhap News.
Upon the opening ceremony on Monday, the session will kick off with speeches by the heads of each negotiating party, followed by interpellation session until Sept. 11.
The government will present the 2013 budget plan on Oct. 4, while the state audit will be conducted on Aug. 5-22.
By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)
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Articles by Korea Herald
