GNP & ULD Agreed to Revise the Act on Broadcasting Commission

The Grand National Party (GNP) and the United Liberal Democrats (ULD) agreed to revise the legislation of the Korea Broadcasting Commission (KBC). They will nullify the present rule to appoint the Commission`s members that guarantees the quota for presidential appointment and will revise the appointment rule based on the ratio of the parliamentary seats.

The two opposition parties also agreed to extend teachers retirement age from present 62 to 63, and to establish the Deliberation Committee for South-North Korea`s Exchange and Cooperation, through which more than a certain size of exchange projects should be examined in order to pursue them. They will revise related laws.

If the two parties keep their paces, the three revised legislations will be passed at the National Assembly because their seats are 151 (GNP 136, ULD 15), which exceeds 14 seats over the minimum number for the majority seats (137). However, since the three laws contain many reformed policies that the government pursued, there is a possibility that President Kim may exercise his veto power. Thus, the revisions may will be the issues for political conflict.

The GNP Chairman of the Policy Committee Kim Man-Jae said, ``Although the President, the Speaker, and the Culture and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly has appointed 3 members of the KBC, the opposition parties decided to appoint the members only by the ratio of the parliament seats because no other countries guarantee the quota for presidential appointment.``

If the revised law for the KBC is passed the appointment ratio for the 9 members of the KBC will be changed from present 5 for the New Millennium Democratic Party (NMDP), 2 for the GNP, and 2 for the ULD to 4 for the NMDP, 4 for the GNP, and 1 for the ULD. The opposition parties will have the actual administration power for the KBC.

Chairman Kim continued, ``The GNP has continuously tried to revised those three legislations, and they must be passed during this regular session of the National Assembly. But, the revision procedure will be that the ULD drives the change of the three laws, and the GNP will support the ULD.``

issong@donga.com