Opposition should finish filibuster campaign and deal with redistricting issue

The biggest pressing matter at the moment is whether the Assembly plenary session will be held today on the legal settlement of redistricting, which is to be applied to the 20th general elections. The plenary session is in fact ongoing, but opposition parties have been filibustering for seven days from Feb. 23 in order to stop anti-terrorism legislation. If they want to deal with the Public Official Election Act, which includes the redistricting agenda, they should stop the filibuster first. The Act will certainly pass only with the attendance and votes of Saenuri members who take over half of the Assembly seats. However, the Minjoo Party seems to continue with the filibuster declaring that if the filibuster is stopped, they will put the anti-terrorism legislation to a vote according to National Assembly law.

Minjoo Party interim chief Kim Jong-in shifted responsibility to Minjoo's floor leader Lee Jong-gul about when to stop the filibuster during a press conference yesterday by saying, "I am not in a position to talk about it because it is up to the floor leader of the party. I believe he will decide when to finish it." Lee displayed a strong will by stating, "I will put my everything (on the filibuster)." Former Minjoo Chairman Moon Jae-in has been posting cheering messages on his Facebook every day, which appear to be an "order" not to stop the filibuster. Everyone is apparently so obsessed with the filibuster that they do not see other issues.

Whenever the Saenuri Party prioritized pending legal issues over the redistricting issue, the Minjoo Party criticized it by saying, "The Saenuri Party is using the redistricting issue as a hostage." Former Chairman Moon and Kim have claimed that the redistricting issue is the most urgent issue of all. If what they say is true, they should have stopped everything they were doing and opposed to the redistricting of the redistricting committee from the National Election Commission to the National Assembly. The general elections' schedule is very tight. If the redistricting issue is not solved, each party cannot run for election. Each election district should confirm‎ the electoral register, from Feb. 24 to Mar. 14, for people who are outside the area during the voting period, but they have not even started yet. This could cause problems with the electoral registration process as well as candidate registration process.

Although a filibuster is a legitimate action to obstruct progress, which is enshrined in law, it could paralyze the Assembly if it obstructs or delays process of urgent bills. Also, the lawmakers who are pushing forward with the filibuster have shown problematic behaviors such as advertizing themselves as reserved local candidates and introducing their books to be used as a campaign tool. Some criticize lawmakers of other parties with matters that have nothing to do with the subject agenda. The Minjoo Party should not confuse support and encouragement from opposition supporters for the filibuster with public support. If they are mistaking the filibuster for the general election, they will have to brace for headwind.

이진녕 jinnyong@donga.com