Allies Move To Build on Partnership

The floor leaders and chief policymakers of the Millennium Democratic Party and its ruling coalition partner, the United Liberal Democrats, decided to meet Monday to draft follow-up measures to the meeting between their leaders.

President Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-pil, leader of the United Liberal Democrats, agreed in a meeting Friday to continue their political alliance until the end of the president's term in February 2003.

In other developments, Lee Sang-soo, MDP floor leader, and his ULD counterpart, Lee Yang-hee, pledged to cooperate on the revision of the pharmaceutical law when it comes up during this session of the National Assembly. They also promised to hold a public hearing on decreasing the number of parliamentary seats required for forming a negotiation bloc to 14 from 20, a move likely to favor the United Liberal Democrats, which holds barely 20 seats.

But the men shelved discussion of laws on human rights and corruption due to differences of opinion.

The secretaries-general of the two parties will discuss joint nomination Monday for the by-elections scheduled for April 26.

Reacting to the parties' cooperation pledge, Kwon Chul-hyun, spokesman for the opposition Grand National Party, said his party was monitoring whether the move is intended to "destroy" the opposition. If the two parties attempt to recruit lawmakers from his party, he said, it will call for President Kim's resignation.

by Lee Yang-soo