GNP Deputy Floor Leader Nam Kyung-pil said the party decided not to attend the parliamentary session because it would be meaningless unless the government took serious measures against rash remarks by Prime Minister Lee Hai-chan. The GNP decided to consider plans to hold debate-style demonstrations on major national issues like the difficulties facing the economy.

In regards to the president's silence on the prime minister’s remarks or parliamentary deadlock when he appeared on an MBC radio program, GNP Chairwoman Park Geun-hye said the silence could be interpreted as meaning he thought little of the opposition party and did not recognize it as the government’s partner, adding that this government attitude impeded the resolution of the deadlock.

Meanwhile, the Uri Party urged the GNP to immediately return to the parliament and implied that it could independently run the parliamentary sessions, saying that it would normalize the National Assembly without the GNP.

Uri Floor Leader Chun Jung-bae said since this weekend was the most critical time, he would try to contact GNP Floor Leader Kim Deog-ryong, and added it was imperative to normalize the National Assembly and reschedule the sessions through negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties.

Uri Deputy Floor Leader Kim Young-choon said even runaway teenagers could not return home because of face if they did not return when their parents asked, adding that if the deadlock continued until next week, the Uri Party couldn't help but normalize the National Assembly with other opposition parties besides the GNP.

(Kim Min-chul, mckim@chosun.com )