A parliamentary review of next year’s government budget kicked off Monday amid a partisan standoff among lawmakers in funding state-authored history textbooks and the government’s reform plans for labor markets and business sectors.

The National Assembly’s relevant committees held meetings to review the 2016 budget plans proposed by the government. According to parliamentary law, the lawmakers must complete the review by Nov. 30 and put the budget plan to a vote no later than Dec. 2.

But the prospect for smooth legislation looks grim as rival parties are expected to engage in an escalating tit-for-tat over the budget bills that are likely to determine the political landscape in the run-up to next year’s general elections.

The ruling Saenuri Party increased its pressure on rival lawmakers to approve the bill in time to jump-start the economy, while the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy vowed to prevent the legislation unless the Saenuri Party withdrew the plan to issue state history textbooks that the NPAD view as a move to inject biased historic views into students.

“Considering the budget plan is the last one that the 19th National Assembly can process, we must pass the budget bill no later than Dec. 2,” said Saenuri Party whip Rep. Won Yoo-chul. “(The NPAD) should cooperate in approving the budget bills that are related to peoples’ livelihood,” he added.

Won also highlighted that the government’s move to adopt the government-issued history textbooks should be separated from the Assembly’s mandate to enact economy-related legislation the party had claimed would overhaul the rigid market and boost the nation’s sluggish economy. The bill aims to revise employment rules and regulations in the medical and tourism industry.

Since adopting the book itself does not require parliamentary approval, the Saenuri Party reportedly would seek to use other government money for publishing the textbook if the NPAD rejected the plan. The publishing would cost about 10 billion won ($8.9 million).

The NPAD held an emergency meeting Monday to discuss their course of action. While the NPAD pledged to thwart the move, they agreed to refrain from boycotting the parliamentary sessions altogether.

“Given that (the adoption of) the textbook is not up to the Assembly, we have no parliamentary leverage to prevent (the legislation). We have no choice but to work with the people and win the next election to solve the problem and sign a new law,” said NPAD floor spokesperson Rep. Lee Un-ju.

The NAPD also proposed on Monday a meeting between the rival parties’ leadership to discuss the textbook issue. The Saenuri Party rejected the meeting, saying that adopting and publishing the textbook is the job of historians and experts, not lawmakers.

Meanwhile, NPAD chairman Rep. Moon Jae-in met on Monday with leaders from other opposition blocs ― Rep. Shim Sang-jeung of Justice Party and Rep. Chun Jung-bae, an independent lawmaker who had defected from the NPAD ― to coordinate their protest against the government’s move.

The three opposition leaders announced that they would launch a civil campaign to reject state-authored textbooks. Naming the campaign as “civil defiance,” they said they will seek to gather signatures of endorsement from more than 10 million people.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)