On June 11, National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik and the floor leaders of both ruling and opposition parties agreed to process a plan for a national investigation into the mismanagement of ballots during the June 3 local elections and the by-elections for the National Assembly as early as next week. They also proposed forming a bipartisan committee to expedite the handling of non-controversial legislation. However, tensions are expected regarding the composition of the National Assembly in the second half of the term, particularly over the position of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chair.
During the session, Speaker Cho addressed the report on the request for a national investigation into the ballot shortage, urging the floor leaders to "swiftly establish a special committee for the investigation and process the plan in next week's session so we can uncover the truth as soon as possible."
He emphasized, "As the second half of the National Assembly begins, it is crucial to show the public a working assembly that cares for their livelihoods, and for that, the composition of the assembly is urgent. I ask both of you to finalize the assembly composition promptly with your exceptional capabilities."
Cho also mentioned the non-controversial bills that had been submitted in the previous session but remain unaddressed, urging for a collaborative schedule to ensure their swift passage and proposing the establishment of a committee to focus on livelihood-related legislation.
Earlier that day, Han Byeong-do, the Democratic Party Floor Leader, and Jeong Jeom-sik, the People Power Party Floor Leader, held a meeting. This was Jeong's first meeting with Han since being elected on June 10. During their discussion, both leaders expressed their commitment to uncovering the truth behind the Election Commission's mismanagement.
Han stated, "We share a commitment to investigate the Election Commission's poor ballot management without any disagreement between the parties. We must hold those responsible accountable and ensure that such incidents do not occur again. We need to reform the Election Commission swiftly."
Jeong added, "It is quite unusual for both parties to agree on a national investigation before the assembly composition is finalized. Both parties take the ballot shortage issue seriously, so we must quickly ascertain the facts and hold the Election Commission accountable if necessary."
However, disagreements emerged regarding the assembly composition. Han noted, "There have been instances in the past where the assembly composition took a long time. Given the pressing issues like the Election Commission, the situation in the Middle East, and livelihood concerns, we must finalize the assembly composition as soon as possible." Jeong responded, "We agree that the assembly composition needs to be expedited, but the Democratic Party, which holds a significant number of seats, must make concessions."
This indicates Jeong's request for Han to concede the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chair position to the opposition party. Earlier that morning, Jeong had called on the Democratic Party during a Supreme Council meeting to yield the chair position to the opposition. However, Han has previously stated that he cannot concede the Legislation and Judiciary Committee chair position to the People Power Party, suggesting potential conflict ahead.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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