Kweon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, speaks during a party’s strategy meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on the morning of the 10th, according to Yonhap News. Amid the opposition pressuring the ruling party for an early presidential election, the People Power Party is considering co-sponsoring a provisional “Martial Law Special Prosecutor Act” to counter the “Rebellion Special Prosecutor Act” amended by six opposition parties.
According to the People Power Party on the 12th, prior to the introduction of the provisional Martial Law Special Prosecutor Act, which aims to investigate President Yoon Suk-yeol’s December 3rd martial law incident, they are reviewing the investigation procedures and scope.
The initiative to introduce the Martial Law Special Prosecutor Act is said to involve 108 members of the People Power Party co-sponsoring the bill to prevent any defections when it comes to the Rebellion Special Prosecutor Act.
The ruling party’s initiative to propose its own special prosecutor law is interpreted as a countermeasure to the opposition’s Rebellion Special Prosecutor Act due to a sense of crisis.
Initially, the special prosecutor bill proposed by the Democratic Party specified the exclusive right of the opposition to recommend special prosecutor candidates and included a wide investigation scope that could involve ruling party figures, though it nearly passed.
Previously, on the 8th, the Rebellion Special Prosecutor Act was voted on again in a plenary session, resulting in 198 for and 101 against, hence rejected. In December, it initially passed with 195 for and 86 against. Since then, defections increased by three votes. Just two more defections could have initiated the special prosecutor proceedings.
If an early presidential election arises alongside a special prosecutor, the People Power Party fears losing the initiative to the opposition due to investigations and media briefings targeting the entire ruling camp.
The six opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, quickly proposed a revised Rebellion Special Prosecutor Act the day after the initial rejection, reducing the investigation period and removing the contentious clauses by clearly stipulating a third-party’s right to recommend the special prosecutor candidate.
As the opposition signaled that the revised act would be dealt with in the plenary session by the 16th at the latest, the People Power Party is reportedly preparing to propose their special prosecutor plan by the 16th.
There is deep contemplation over the draft act’s details. Since the amended bill from the six opposition parties added foreign exchange violations as a target, leaving contentious elements, there is likely to be an emphasis on limiting the investigation scope. The opposition stands firm that they won’t cooperate if it’s deemed a stalling tactic by the ruling party.
The timeline for introducing the People Power Party’s own special prosecutor bill remains undecided. Options include rapidly proposing the bill after a party meeting early this week to maintain internal cohesion, or proposing it close to the plenary session, leaving room for further negotiations with the opposition. The People Power Party plans to convene a general meeting early this week to discuss the overall plan for introducing their special prosecutor bill with their members.