Party leaders fail to open assembly

The floor leaders of the Millennium Democratic Party and the Grand National Party met Tuesday at the National Assembly to discuss how to arrange top-level talks between the two parties but failed to narrow their differences.

The two floor leaders, however, came closer to each other on certain issues including the irregular railroading of amendments to the National Assembly Law on which President Kim might convey his regret. In the meantime, the GNP resolved to carry through its planned mass outdoor rally in Daegu on Sept. 29.

Outcomes of a caucus of the MDP convened Wednesday to deal with the demands made by the opposition party might lead to resumption of the MDP-GNP negotiations. Its secretary general Chung Kyun-Hwan said the bargaining did not come to an end and some alternative avenues are explored at the caucus to revive the negotiations and bring them to fruition.

In case the GNP persists in continuing its off-track political offensive outside the legislature through the Daegu rally on Sept. 29, the ruling party plans to call the parliamentary session unilaterally and act on a bill to extend the tour of the Korean troops currently in East Timor on U.N. peacekeeping operations there in the absence of opposition party members.

Yoon Young-Chan yyc11@donga.com