Ruling party proposes bill for automatic parliamentary sessions

SEOUL, June 16 (Yonhap) -- The ruling party said Tuesday it introduced a bill
that would allow parliament to automatically open sessions at the start of every
even-numbered month, a move apparently meant to circumvent boycotts and delays by
opposition parties.
The amendment to the National Assembly Law would help prevent sessions from being
suspended when opposition parties attach conditions in negotiations over the
parliamentary schedule, Cho Yun-sun, spokeswoman for the ruling Grand National
Party (GNP), said.
"We proposed the revision to prevent the National Assembly from being held up by
other parties' rejections," Cho said.
The National Assembly's June session has been delayed for weeks due to a conflict
over several controversial reform bills endorsed by the GNP but strongly opposed
by its main rival Democratic Party (DP).
The GNP-sponsored bills include tax rate changes, revision of laws on media
ownership and regulations governing temporary employment, all of which the DP has
vowed to block.
The opposition party is also demanding an apology from the administration of Lee
Myung-bak for the May 23 suicide of his predecessor Roh Moo-hyun, arguing that
the prosecution drove him to his death by conducting a politically-motivated
corruption probe.
Floor leaders in March agreed to put off handling of the disputed bills until
June. Talks last weekend between the two parties on convening the parliament
broke down.
brk@yna.co.kr
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