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Assembly Speaker Park Kwan-yong is in a rage because of the irresponsible attitudes of President Roh Moo-hyun and the leaderships of the ruling and opposition parties toward the free trade agreement (FTA) ratification. Park said Wednesday in an interview with the Chosun Ilbo that it might be unprecedented in the history of the Republic of Korea for a president and the leadership of both the ruling and opposition parties to sit back and shift responsibility for an important national agenda onto an Assembly speaker.
The public has strongly criticized the recent situation in the National Assembly.
As one of leaders of the Assembly, I apologize to the public. Frankly, nowadays, I sometimes feel this sense of crisis, as if the whole nation is collapsing. I am sorry to see that even the National Assembly, which should be the column of support for the nation, seems to have made the situation worse.
What is going to happen to the Iraq dispatch bill and the FTA ratification bill?
The two bills can not pass through the Assembly if the ruling and opposition parties continue to behave like they have recently. I made it clear to the ruling Uri Party¡¯s floor leader, Kim Keun-tae, that the dispatch bill can not pass if even the ruling party won't support the bill that the president proposed. I will lay the FTA bill before a general meeting of the Assembly only when I am certain that the bill will pass the Assembly. How can the National Assembly of an export-driven nation delay ratifying an FTA bill four times?
Will you plan to separately handle the two bills?
I think legislators feel burdened because we have tried to pass the bills together. The ruling party¡¯s floor leader, Kim Keun-tae, proposed to handle the dispatch motion Friday. I am going to handle the FTA bill next Monday or Tuesday after getting clear promises from the political parties and lawmakers from farming regions that they will not delay the ratification of the bill again.
I think that the Assembly Speaker is busier that the President or leaders of the ruling and opposition parties.
(Raising his voice) It is unprecedented. When the President draws up a policy, the President himself must set out to persuade the public and lawmakers. But what has he done so far? And to the majority party, the GNP, I also asked, "What on earth have you been doing till now?"
What impressions have you received as you meet to persuade lawmakers from rural areas?
I think that more than half the legislators from farming regions acknowledge the need to sign the FTA. But when a plenary session begins, their attitudes change. The leaders of the ruling and opposition parties also talk of passing the FTA, but then they act differently. They're all deceiving their consciences.
(Park Du-sik, dspark@chosun.com )
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