Ruling Party Eyes Assembly Session This Month

The presidential office and the ruling Grand National Party have agreed to open a parliamentary session late this month to deliberate bills that failed to pass in last month’s extra National Assembly session.

Party floor leader Hong Joon-pyo told The Dong-A Ilbo yesterday, “We said that in principle, we won’t hold a parliamentary session in March. But we should deliberate on pending bills at the National Assembly due to the (main opposition) Democratic Party’s filibuster in late March by opening a parliamentary session even only for several days.”

“We plan to assemble a parliamentary session late this month through consultations with opposition parties.”

An official at the presidential office said, “We hoped that the Grand National Party could assemble an extra Assembly session in mid-March and pass the pending bills, but this appears impossible considering lawmaker schedules.”

“I understand the Grand National Party itself also feels no burden about holding a session in late March.”

The ruling party and the administration reportedly seek to adjust the schedule for an extra parliamentary session set for next month, and advance the opening date to late March so that the session can be convened for two to three days in the month.

A presidential official said, “If the Grand National Party seeks to railroad pending bills and a bill on extra state budget, the Democratic Party will seek to block it.”

“The party will seek to pass contentious bills in late March and begin deliberating the bill on the supplementary budget from April.”

mhpark@donga.com