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Saenuri, NPAD continue wrangle over Sewol act

Posted August. 25, 2014 04:08,   

한국어

Disagreements surrounding the special bill aimed at uncovering the details of the Sewol ferry sinking are intensifying.

The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) proposed a new frame of discussions by organizing a three-way consultative body of the ruling Saenuri party, main opposition party, and the bereaved families of the Sewol ferry sinking. The ruling party promptly refused, calling it a damage to legislative powers. Park Young-sun, interim chief and floor leader of the NPAD, who had said there would be no more negotiations, is pointed out to have more or less broken the ruling-opposition party agreements.

Park said at a second budgetary policy consultative meeting with city and provincial governors of the NPAD held at the National Assembly on Sunday, "Now three-way dialog among the representatives of the bereaved families and of the ruling and opposition parties should be accepted." Many see this is another bet by Park, for whom two of her proposals for a ruling-opposition party agreement got no confidence vote. Park pressured the Saenuri Party, saying Saenuri`s Floor Leader Lee Wan-koo also said on Saturday that he would approach flexibly in a forward-oriented manner. The bereaved families have said they are considering it positively, and that the proposal has been delivered to the Saenuri Party. The NPAD floor leader also stressed that this wall (passing the special act on the Sewol ferry) must be passed through in order to heal the public and that normal operations of the National Assembly would be possible. The NPAD plans to discuss with all opportunities possible in the three-way consultative body. Although there were no specific comments of canceling the agreement regarding the plan, political circles believe that they have de facto set out to repeat discussions.

Although the ruling party made clear its opposition to a third consultative organization, it said it would be proactive in discussions with the bereaved families. The ruling party`s floor leader drew the line, responding in a telephone call with the Dong-A Ilbo on Sunday on the proposal for that third consultative organization, by asking why the National Assembly exists and whether always interested people when making a bill would be demanded from now on. Lee mentioned in a recent poll that the opinion that had more support was that the bill should be passed as the renegotiated plan by the ruling and opposition parties. He asked if the public and the supporters of the Saenuri Party are of that opinion, how they could be brushed aside. He said he had reached the limit now. He said another round of negotiations would not be possible.