Filibuster, strict rule on majority may stall legislation process, lawmakers say


Questions are being raised over the effectiveness of a revision bill to prevent violence in the legislation process, which is set to pass the outgoing 18th National Assembly next Tuesday.

While the bill allows a filibuster in a bid to prevent scuffles between rival party lawmakers over controversial bills, stricter regulations on the majority party may stall the passage of other bills as well, some lawmakers claimed.

“If the revision bill is passed through as it is without the basis of dialogue and compromise between the ruling and opposition parties, we will never be able to pass any significant bills” Rep. Chung Ui-hwa, acting speaker from the ruling Saenuri Party, said in an interview with Yonhap News.

“The revision contains serious flaws that do not fit with the reality of our politics. If these flaws and problems are not revised or supplemented but passed as they are, the 19th National Assembly will become the most lethargic assembly in history,” Chung said at a news conference on Friday.

Under the revision, a consensus from more than three-fifths of lawmakers is needed to halt a filibuster or fast track votes on major bills. The minimum number would be 181 seats in the 300-member assembly. The Saenuri Party has a majority of 151 seats against the main opposition Democratic United Party’s 127. The United Progressive Party has 13, followed by Liberty Forward Party’s five, and four independents.

Observers agreed that the revision could be damaging considering the tight partisan culture.

“While floor violence in the past could have been caused by the majority party trying to ram through a bill, the problem under the revised bill could be caused by minority parties jamming the process,” said Yoon Seong-yi, a political science professor at Kyung Hee University.

“The fundamental problem is that there is no cross voting. Once a party position is established, it is extremely difficult for party members to vote otherwise, as the leadership has full control over their nominations and such,” Yoon said.

“Unless democracy within each party is improved, the legislative system will not improve,” he added.

As public exhaustion grew over the violence-ridden National Assembly, the ruling and opposition floor leaders have been preparing since May last year a set of measures to curb physical confrontations among assembly members. The bill passed the Steering Committee on Tuesday.

According to the revision, a fast track vote would enable a certain bill to automatically pass through the assembly’s standing committee within 180 days and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee within 90 days and be put to vote at the final plenary session within 60 days. This, however, requires a consensus of three-fifths of the assembly.

A lawmaker who wishes to open an unlimited debate on a bill can do so with a signed agreement from one-third of the lawmakers. In order to suspend the filibuster, an agreement from three-fifth is required.

Also, the National Assembly speaker can only railroad bills upon consensus among representatives of each negotiating party or when there is a natural disaster or any state emergency such as war.

The bill also stipulates that the state budget bill will be automatically presented for a plenary vote if the debate is not completed by November 30.

Chung, reportedly supported by several other party members according to local news reports, suggested changing the three-fifth quota to a majority and shortening the fast track vote period.

Opposition parties, in the meantime, rejected Chung’s suggestion.

“This is something that has gone through a difficult and long discussion between the ruling and opposition parties. We cannot change it,” Noh Young-min, vice floor leader of DUP was quoted as telling Yonhap News. “It is more inefficient to think that they can bulldoze through with (majority) numbers without adjusting to a new era,” he said.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)