Rival partie to make big deal to prevent colossal collapse

The delegations of the ruling and main opposition parties met on Monday to discuss ways to normalize the National Assembly but failed to narrow differences in their negotiations. The delegations agreed to meet on Tuesday again but there are significant differences in views between the two sides. Since both parties face the burden of approving next year’s state budget by year’s end, however, there is a room for the two sides to reach a dramatic conclusion in their talks.

At the meeting attended by ruling Saenuri Party Chairman Hwang Woo-yea and Floor Leader Choi Kyung-hwan and main opposition Democratic Party Chairman Kim Han-ghil and Floor Leader Jun Byung-hun at the National Assembly on Monday, next year’s state budget and independent council probe into the state spy agency’s alleged meddling in last year’s presidential election were discussed, but to no avail. In press briefings after the meeting, Saenuri Party spokesman Yoo Il-ho and Democratic Party spokesman Kim Gwan-young said, “Since (the delegations of the two parties) think that political situation should be normalized on the earliest date possible, in-depth discussions are expected at their meeting on Tuesday.”

The centerpiece of the negotiations will likely be how the rival parties will be able to narrow their differences over the proposed introduction of an independent council, which the opposition party demanded. As some members of the ruling party are moving to ease their hard-line stance against adoption of an independent council, expectations are rising that the parties may reach a compromise within this week. Insiders in the political circle say that “Chairman Hwang Woo-yeo will likely seek to take steps for negotiations by proposing that ‘If the results of the ongoing prosecutorial probe are deemed insufficient after waiting to see the investigation, then the parties can conduct an independent council probe.”

“It is true that we judged chances are not high even an independent council probe will come up with more findings than those from the prosecutorial probe,” said a ranking official at the ruling camp. “We can also think of a plan (for the ruling party) to accept an independent council probe under the condition that the Democratic Party promises to cooperate in deliberation of next year’s state budget and major bills.”

Many leaders in the ruling camp still think that the ruling party should not accept an independent council probe due to concerns over the possibility that the opposition party could raise an issue with the findings from an independent council probe and thus use them as a tool for its political strife through next year’s local elections. Moreover, they fear that the Democratic Party could decline to deliberate on bills after reaching agreement, and instead make additional demands. Observers in the political circle predict even if the ruling party agrees on the introduction of an independent council, the rival parties could further wrangle over the subject, timing and objects of an independent council.