17th National Parliament To Remain Open 365 Days a Year; Parliamentary Party System to be Introduced

From the 17th National Parliament comes the regular parliament system, which is always open to free discussion except during the summer and winter vacation periods. In addition, the headquarters of the parties will be reduced in a large scale, or entirely disappear, to move the major functions of the parties to the National Parliament in order to utilize it as the virtual political core.

The Open Uri Party and the Grand National Party have consented to revise parliamentary law and other relevant laws to carry out the renovation of parliament and the parties as soon as possible when the 17th parliament begins its official schedule.

The floor leader of the Open Uri Party, Kim Kuen-tae, and the President, Roh Moo-hyun, met at Chong Wa-dae on April 19 and agreed upon the fact that the parties should be converted into a parliamentary system, and that the parliamentary parties should take the initiative of leading the political world.

The two also consented that the policy committees of the parties should become the pivot of solving the pending problems of national administration in the upcoming government and party discussion.

According to this decision, the leading Open Uri Party held a meeting presided over by their floor leader, Kim, and decided to drive forward the following public commitments as quickly as possible; a system of summoning assemblymen by the people, duty suspension for corrupt assemblymen, a system of people’s inspection on parliamentary activities and political funds, reduction of formality in National Parliament, establishment of a people’s plaza in front of the parliament building, and transference of inspection functions to the National Parliament.

The GNP will also try to introduce their public commitment, such as a parliament open 365 days a year, transference of a special committee for the national budget, which is currently only temporary, into the regular committee, and the reduction of parliamentary expenditures in accordance with each assemblyman’s absence for meetings.

“The GNP will lead the renovation of the national parliament by centering on the parliamentary party system,” remarked a newly elected assemblyman of the GNP, Park Se-il, adding, “The existing structure of the central party system will be reduced drastically.”

“The conversion to the parliamentary party system has become prevalent in many countries around the world,” stated Lee Jun-han, a professor of Incheon National University, adding, “Every activity of assemblymen and regular parliamentary committees should be carried out inside of the parliament in order to make the parliament function adequately.”

Young-Chan Yoon Hoon Lee yyc11@donga.com dreamland@donga.com