Considering the ‘high stakes’ of the first half of the 22nd National Assembly,
despite criticism of ‘major party high-handedness’, they are stepping up to reclaim Inside and outside the political circle, there are criticisms that it is a behavior that breaks customs.,
Hwang Woo-yea (right), the acting emergency response chief of the People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party’s leader, are sitting side by side, holding hands and having a conversation at a memorial event for the 15th anniversary of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun in Bongha Village, Gimhae, Gyeongnam on the 23rd. Yonhap News,
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The Democratic Party is betting its life on securing the chairmanship of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee in the first half of the 22nd National Assembly. With the opening of the session, and President Yoon Suk-yeol promising to prioritize the enactment of reform bills, including bills that the President vetoed, the chair of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is a key position that must be reclaimed. Inside and outside the political circle, there are criticisms that breaking the tradition of ‘the ruling party taking the position of the National Assembly Speaker and the opposition party taking the position of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair’ is a breach of custom.
The reason why the Democratic Party is clinging to the position of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair despite criticism of ‘major party high-handedness’ is clear. It is because of the importance of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, which plays the role of ‘gatekeeper’ for various bills before they are introduced to the plenary session. During the 21st National Assembly, whenever they pushed for the processing of contentious bills such as the ‘Binjang special prosecutor law’ (special prosecutor law for Kim Geun-hee, a member of the 50 Billion Club) the Democratic Party faced difficulties due to the defensive tactics of Kim Do-eup, a Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chairman from the People Power Party.
In particular, within the ruling party, the emphasis on the prompt introduction of 56 key priority bills, including the ‘Kim Geun-hee special prosecutor law,’ at the 22nd National Assembly’s opening was noted. This is seen as a signal that the Legislation and Judiciary Committee will be on the front line of a conflict between the ruling party and the opposition. A senior member of the People Power Party stated to the Kukmin Ilbo on the 23rd, “Isn’t it clear that the Democratic Party, which was repeatedly blocked by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee in the past, is showing its determination to secure the position of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair?”
One of the sharp confrontations between the ruling and opposition party is due to the fact that various special prosecutor bills fall under the jurisdiction of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The opposition party is eager to introduce bills such as the Kim Geun-hee special prosecutor law or the ‘Han Dong-hoon special prosecutor law’ immediately after the session begins. On the other hand, the People Power Party is in a situation where it cannot easily back down from the fight over special prosecutor laws. Jang Dong-hyuk, the senior spokesperson of the People Power Party, emphasized to reporters at the National Assembly on this day, “It is fundamental that we bring the Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair to us.”
Another important point is that the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, responsible for the pre-plenary review and deliberation of bills passed by other standing committees, essentially plays the role of the ‘upper house.’ Even if the opposition party pushes through contentious bills in other standing committees with a majority of seats, if the People Power Party secures the position of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair, they can use the ‘delay strategy’ based on the review and deliberation process to delay the bills. During the 21st National Assembly, the Democratic Party used the expedited handling system to circumvent this, but concerning matters other than the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, it took up to a maximum of 330 days (240 days for Legislation and Judiciary Committee matters) before they were presented to the plenary session.
The People Power Party is countering the tradition that dates back to the 17th National Assembly in 2004, when the Roh Moo-hyun administration, that the position of the Speaker was held by the ruling party, and the Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair was held by the opposition party. However, this tradition was broken by the Democratic Party in the 21st National Assembly when they monopolized the Speaker of the National Assembly and the 18 standing committee chair positions. The Democratic Party’s position in the 22nd National Assembly is to take control of 11 out of the 18 standing committee chair positions, including the Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair.’