Democratic Party's Growing 'Legislation Committee Dilemma'... 3rd Week of Parliamentary Standstill

Some within the opposition see the National Assembly Speaker 'willing to be elected unilaterally'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] As negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties for the second half of the National Assembly's leadership formation go in circles, the parliamentary vacancy is becoming prolonged. The deadlock over the position of the Chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is extending the parliamentary vacancy situation.

According to political circles on the 19th, some hardliners within the Democratic Party are voicing that solutions, including the option of unilaterally electing the Speaker, should be considered to resolve the parliamentary vacancy issue.

In fact, the Democratic Party has previously experienced unilaterally electing the Speaker of the National Assembly. During the opening of the 21st National Assembly's first half in 2020, the Democratic Party elected former Speaker Park Byeong-seok despite the absence of the United Future Party. This unilateral election was the first in 53 years since 1967, after which negotiations for leadership formation between the ruling and opposition parties faced disruptions.

Even with precedent, it is not easy for the Democratic Party to push through another unilateral election. This is because they could be trapped in the frame of 'dominance by the majority party.' Moreover, voices are growing that the parliamentary vacancy cannot be left unattended, as the party must check the administration through legislative activities and committee inquiries.

Alongside the hardline stance on 'unilateral election of the Speaker,' the emergence of conciliatory opinions within the party to hand over the Chairperson position of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to the People Power Party on the condition of adjusting the committee's system and self-review authority also reflects this sense of urgency. A Democratic Party official said, "Even if we give up the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, we are the majority in all other standing committees, and even if we lose the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, there is the plenary session, so from the party's perspective, we need to think a bit more progressively."

For this reason, some expect that negotiations and compromises over the Chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee will take place sometime next week. A key figure within the National Assembly told this outlet, "There are many pressing livelihood issues and public opinion is unfavorable, so negotiations will not drag on indefinitely," adding, "The People Power side will not just assume that time is on their side and continue to hold out."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.