Two big parties get closer to agreement on committees

Politics

Published: 18 Jul. 2022, 18:09

Two big parties get closer to agreement on committees

From left, People Power Party floor leader Kwon Seong-dong, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, and Democratic Party floor leader Park Hong-keun announce Monday an agreement to open a session of the Assembly on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

In an attempt to break a months-long deadlock at the National Assembly over the formation of parliamentary committees, the floor leaders of the People Power Party (PPP) and Democratic Party (DP) agreed Monday to open a regular session on Wednesday.

PPP floor leader Kwon Seong-dong and DP floor leader Park Hong-keun agreed to open a session at the National Assembly on Wednesday to pass a resolution on the membership of a special committee on local economic and livelihood issues.

The DP and PPP will each have six members on the committee, with an additional member from another party. The committee will deal with economic issues such as fuel tax cuts, real estate regulations and public transportation vouchers.

The Assembly has been out of session for some 50 days as the DP and PPP butted heads on which party will control key committees, including the Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee that oversees lawmaking on media-related matters, and the Judicial Reform Special Committee, which is supposed to form within 18 months a new investigative agency to probe serious crimes, a project spearheaded by the DP.

The DP and PPP reached agreement last week that each would have six members on the judiciary committee and a DP member would chair it.

On the broadcasting committee, both parties are demanding the chair position.

The two parties’ floor leaders also agreed Monday to finish their negotiations on formation of the committees by Thursday.

The Assembly was scheduled to hold parliamentary questioning of key officials in public administration, foreign policy and security on July 25, the economy on July 26 and education, society and culture on July 27.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]