Four Opposition Parties to Submit Bill on Independent Counsel X-File Investigation

The Grand National Party (GNP) and Democratic Labor Party (DLP) have decided to submit a bill on an investigation by an independent counsel in a bid to get to the bottom of the illegally bugged tapes and recording logs made by the National Security Planning Agency, the precursor of the National Intelligence Service, to the National Assembly through August 5.

GNP chief vice floor leader Yim Tae-hee and DLP chief vice floor leader Sim Sang-jeong held a luncheon on August 2 and reached an agreement on the above. Yim said, “The four opposition parties, including not only the GNP and DLP, but also the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) and United Liberal Democrats (ULD), have decided to push ahead with a measure in which they will jointly propose a bill on an investigation by an independent counsel,” adding, “The four opposition parties are planning to hold a meeting to be attended by their chief vice floor leaders in a bid to consult on cooperation measures with one another on August 4.”

Currently, chances are high that given that the number of seats held by the four opposition parties is 148 (the GNP, DLP, MDP and ULD have 125 seats, 10 seats, 10 seats, and three seats, respectively), if two of five independent lawmakers are in favor of the bill, since the total number of lawmakers in favor of it will surpass half of the total number of seats (299) in the National Assembly, the bill on an investigation by an independent counsel will pass.

MDP floor leader Lee Nak-yon also revealed on the same day, “The MDP is in the affirmative in principle over the bill.” ULD spokesman Lee Gyu-yang said, “It is desirable for an independent counsel to probe into the illegal eavesdropping scandal exclusively.”

The ruling and opposition parties are expected to be pitted against each other since on the same day, the ruling Uri Party, in lieu of the bill to be drawn up by the opposition parties, decided to push ahead with enacting a temporary special act, including setting up “a third civil committee,” in a bid to cope with the illegally wiretapped tapes and recording logs and whether to make them public.

In-Jik Cho cij1999@donga.com