People Power Party Blocks Livelihood Bills, Criticizes 'Rubber-Stamp Parliament'

People Power Party Halts Livelihood Bill Processing, Criticizing 'Rubber-Stamp Parliament'

As the Democratic Party of Korea announces its intention to convene a July extraordinary parliamentary session and accelerate the processing of livelihood and reform legislation, the People Power Party's backlash is intensifying. The People Power Party is vehemently criticizing the Democratic Party's remarks regarding improvements to the filibuster and fast-track systems, accusing them of attempting to degrade the National Assembly into a mere 'rubber-stamp parliament' and maintaining their boycott of parliamentary proceedings. Both ruling and opposition parties are in sharp confrontation over the processing of livelihood bills and legislation related to judicial reform, making the normalization of parliamentary activities appear even more distant.

Park Seong-hoon, the chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated in a commentary on the 4th that remarks made by Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party, revealed their true intentions to create an 'legislation factory' and a 'bulletproof vest factory.' He specifically pointed out that the Democratic Party's intention is clear: to stigmatize the filibuster system, which guarantees minimal speaking rights for minority parties, as a faulty practice and to shorten the fast-track period to engage in a 'legislative speed race.' This criticism stems from the strategic calculation to push through legislation at breakneck speed solely to protect the political safety of the President and the Democratic Party, including the so-called 'Special Prosecutor Act to Cancel Lee Jae-myung's Indictment' and the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act that abolishes the prosecutor's supplementary investigation rights.

Democratic Party Convenes July Extraordinary Session, Pushing 67 Key Legislative Tasks

Conversely, the Democratic Party criticized the People Power Party for continuing its parliamentary boycott and ignoring the processing of livelihood bills. The Democratic Party declared on the 3rd that it would immediately convene a July extraordinary session to accelerate the processing of pending livelihood and reform legislation. Focusing on four core management agendas, including real estate policy, they have outlined 67 key legislative initiatives to pursue, such as the 'Mega Special Zone Designation Act'.

Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader, stated at a supreme council meeting, "The People Power Party has ultimately declared a boycott of livelihood issues," criticizing them for justifying their irresponsibility with propaganda about a 'bulletproof parliament' and 'parliamentary dictatorship,' following the parliamentary vacuum they caused over the past month. The Democratic Party urged the People Power Party to stop their obstructionist tactics driven by party interests and cooperate in normalizing parliamentary activities, rather than ignoring the daily struggles of self-employed business owners, small merchants, and anxious young people.

Election Commission Special Prosecutor Push Expected in July Amidst Ruling-Opposition Disagreement

Meanwhile, the ruling and opposition parties have found common ground on pursuing a special prosecutor investigation into the Election Commission regarding the shortage of ballot papers during the June 3 local elections. However, they remain divided on the method of recommending the special prosecutor, leading to negotiation difficulties. Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party, proposed a 'third-party recommendation' for appointing the special prosecutor in a Facebook message on the 5th. He stated that the Democratic Party has already prepared fundamental institutional improvement measures through a parliamentary inquiry and the establishment of an Election Commission reform task force, and has decided to introduce a special prosecutor as party policy to thoroughly investigate the incident.

The special prosecutor is expected to be introduced this week. The Democratic Party has shown its determination to bring those responsible to justice, regardless of their position, by including the investigation into the circumstances of reducing ballot paper printing quantities, the non-reporting and delayed reporting to command staff on election day, and internal corruption and incompetence within the Election Commission. While the push for the Election Commission special prosecutor is likely to proceed rapidly, the tug-of-war between the ruling and opposition parties over who will hold the power to recommend the special prosecutor is expected to continue.

Jeong Sung-ho Defers Supplementary Investigation Rights Debate to Parliament; 'Death of Rule of Law' Controversy

In addition, the controversy surrounding the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights remains heated. Justice Minister Jeong Sung-ho stated at a parliamentary workshop on the 3rd that the issue of abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights would be a matter for "distinguished lawmakers to discuss well," effectively entrusting the legislative power to the National Assembly. This aligns with the previous administration's stance of retaining prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights to a minimum and is linked to the need to prepare minimal countermeasures for the protection of victims in President Lee Jae-myung's cases. However, a shift in the Democratic Party's internal sentiment is also apparent, with party leadership contenders increasingly advocating for the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights as they compete for prominence ahead of the party's national convention. Amidst this situation, the People Power Party strongly criticizes that the proposed legislation, including the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigation rights, could degrade the Legislation and Judiciary Committee into a 'death of the rule of law' committee, and maintains its stance to halt the Democratic Party's legislative spree.