Kim expresses regret over railroading

President Kim Dae-Jung expressed regret July 27 over the parliamentary deadlock stemming from an inter-party confrontation over the railroading of an Assembly Law revision at the Steering Committee. His statement has boosted hopes for a breakthrough to the current political standoff.

The main point of the President`s statement was that it is not proper for any party to railroad or block any legislative bill unilaterally. The statement implied that both the ruling and opposition camps were to blame for the current impasse.

In this regard, Chong Wa Dae spokesman Park Joon-Young explained that President Kim`s remarks were an expression of regret, but did not construe an apology to the opposition Grand National Party (GNP).

The GNP, meanwhile, has assessed the presidential statement positively. GNP spokesman Kwon Chul-Hyeun noted that Kim`s words fell short of meeting his party`s demands, but said it was fortunate that the President acknowledged that the ruling Millennium Democratic Party violated parliamentary law.

The GNP spokesman judged that, in view of the president`s position, he may have declared the nullification of the revision bill rammed through the Assembly steering committee. The spokesman said that if this interpretation was wrong, the ruling camp should make its position on the matter clear.