Parties to vote on impeachment motions Nov. 17

At a bipartisan meeting of floor leaders held Wednesday, the ruling and opposition parties agreed to deal with impeachment motions against Prosecutor General Park Soon-Yong and Deputy Prosecutor General Shin Sung-Nam at the National Assembly plenary session Nov. 17, as well as a host of other parliamentary agenda.

In line with the accord, the lawmakers of the rival parties heard the presidential budgetary policy address, which was read by Prime Minister Lee Han-Dong, at the Assembly plenary session Wednesday afternoon.

Rep. Chung Kyun-Hwan, floor leader of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), and his opposition Grand National Party counterpart, Chung Chang-Wha, concurred that the impeachment motions should be reported to the plenary session by Assembly Speaker Lee Man-Sup Nov. 15 and the motion bill put to a vote Nov. 17, the last day of the ongoing parliamentary interpellation of the administration.

The MDP whip explained after the floor leaders' meeting that there is no change in his party's position that the impeachment proposal runs against relevant law, but added that his party decided to comply with the vote on the measure with a view to preventing parliamentary paralysis.

GNP floor leader Chung said that his party would pass the motion through the legislature without fail.

Meanwhile, Lee Yang-Hee, floor leader of the splinter United Liberal Democrats, told reporters that his party would decide its position on the matter based on the situation at that time.

Cheon Seung-Hoon raphy@donga.com