Speaker Lee refuses to ¡®railroad¡¯ bills

National Assembly Speaker Lee Man-Sup said Tuesday that he opposes the speaker`s placing of an amendment to the National Assembly Law ex officio and railroading it.

Lee, a member of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party, asserted his position to reporters at his official residence in Hannam-dong where he was stranded by lawmakers of the opposition Grand National Party, who tried to prevent him from presiding over a House plenary session for the passage of the bill.

When MDP Chairman Suh Young-Hun visited him at the residence in the afternoon, Lee suggested to Suh a compromise that the rival parties act on the people`s livelihood-related bills and the Assembly bill separately.

He also tried to mediate between the conflicting parties in such a way as to arrange a meeting between the floor leaders of the two parties.

The following are questions and answers between the speaker and reporters:

Q: Will you lay on your own authority the revision bill of the National Assembly Law, which was railroaded by the ruling lawmakers in the Steering Committee?

A: No. I will not. Because the amendment was referred to the Legislation-Judiciary Committee, it should be handled in accordance with law in the committee. I will never preside over a session to help railroad a bill. I have a responsibility to prevent any catastrophic situation in the parliament.

Q: Will you turn over the right to preside over the plenary session to Vice Speaker Kim Chong-Hoh?

A: It is the speaker who has the right to preside over the session.

Q: You suggested the idea of separating the people`s livelihood-related bills and the Assembly bill.

A: I think the Assembly should act on the revision bill of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law and the Financial Holding Company bill that the ruling and opposition parties agreed to pass. The rival parties also must make a compromise over the additional budget bill.