GNP Refuses to Attend Joint Committee Meeting

Relations between the ruling and opposition parties are becoming strained as the Grand National Party (GNP) continued to refuse to attend joint policy making meetings on May 24. The GNP is criticizing the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) for appointing Lee Han-dong as the new Prime Minister and for establishing ties with the ULD.
"The MDP has ignored the people's desires as expressed during the April general election by recklessly changing political affiliations," said acting GNP president Kang Chang-song. Kang refused to attend the May 24 third general committee meeting.

"The committee will be dissolved unless the MDP changes its attitude," said GNP Policy Planning Committee chairman Chung Chang-wha. The joint committee for policy making was first arranged according to the mutual consent of the MDP's President Kim Dae-jung and GNP leader Lee Hoi-chang.

In response to these developments, MDP spokesman Chung Dong-young stated, "The basic agreement between the MDP and GNP to cooperate with each other remains unchanged. The GNP should not neglect the committee because it is designed for the benefit of the people."

Meanwhile, the GNP is determined to prevent the MDP from revising the National Assembly Law governing the standards for forming committees.

by Lee Sang-il