The Mokpo City Council's proposed ordinance to institutionalize the activities of minority parties and independent lawmakers has been postponed at the committee level.
According to the Mokpo City Council, the ordinance titled 'Ordinance on the Formation and Operation of Coalition Groups in the Mokpo City Council,' introduced by Councilman Park Yong-jun, was put on hold during the 408th Operations Committee meeting held on September 11.
This ordinance was designed to establish necessary provisions for the formation and operation of coalition groups within the council, based on Article 63-2 of the Local Autonomy Act.
The proposal allows not only parties with five or more affiliated members but also independent lawmakers who do not belong to existing coalition groups to form separate coalition groups under certain conditions.
The aim is to ensure that the legislative activities of minority parties and independent lawmakers are institutionally protected and to enhance the functions of opinion coordination and consultation on key council issues.
However, during the review process, disagreements arose regarding the phrase 'chairperson's approval' in Article 7 of the ordinance related to support for coalition groups and the budget support procedures, leading to the decision to postpone the review.
Councilman Park expressed strong regret over the postponement decision.
Park Yong-jun stated, “The Operations Committee and each standing committee are official decision-making bodies that review and vote on individual agenda items, and they differ from negotiation channels that gather and adjust opinions among parties or lawmakers in advance.”
He added, “The fact that the Mokpo City Council has relied significantly on traditional methods, such as meetings of the leadership, indicates the need to institutionalize formal negotiation channels. The reason why the National Assembly and various local councils have established grounds for coalition group operations is to reflect diverse political opinions in legislative activities.”
Park further commented on the postponement, saying, “While the phrase 'chairperson's approval' was raised as an issue, the wording and support procedures can be sufficiently refined through discussion. It is difficult to understand why the establishment of the ordinance itself is being delayed for this reason.”
He explained, “The formation of coalition groups by minority parties and independent lawmakers to voice their opinions within the council is not intended to weaken the authority of the majority but to provide a mechanism for reflecting diverse public opinions in legislative activities.”
Park also noted, “If the majority party is wary of the very alliance of minority parties and independent lawmakers rather than respecting minority opinions, it contradicts the spirit of cooperation in local councils. While the ordinance's shortcomings should be addressed, discussions on institutionalizing coalition groups should not be halted.”
He concluded, “I will work to ensure that diverse political voices are reflected in council operations and that the legislative activities of minority lawmakers are institutionally guaranteed by thoroughly reviewing the ordinance and creating a space for cooperation.”
Meanwhile, the Local Autonomy Act allows local councils to establish coalition groups and stipulates that necessary provisions for the formation and operation of these groups should be determined by ordinance. Therefore, discussions surrounding this ordinance are expected to lead to institutional discussions on how the Mokpo City Council will reconcile majority and minority opinions and reflect them in legislative operations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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