Published : Feb. 22, 2017 - 12:47
South Korea's parliamentary chief on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of exercising his authority to put to a vote an opposition proposal to extend the term of the independent counsel investigating a corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye.
Opposition parties have been seeking to adopt a bill to extend the activity of the independent counsel whose term ends this month as Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is unlikely to approve the request for an extended probe. In the face of the ruling Liberty Korea Party, they have voiced the need for the speaker to call a vote directly, bypassing parliamentary committee procedures.
National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun (Yonhap)
The parliamentary chief can exercise the authority only when national emergencies including disasters and war occur or party floor leaders agree to the need.
"If the floor leaders of the negotiation bodies reach an agreement, I can exercise my authority to call a vote directly. But if there are no legal grounds, I cannot make a decision arbitrarily," National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun said.
He does not buy some opposition politicians' claim that the current situation amounts to a national emergency.
The speaker said Hwang should settle the issue, adding it is up to the acting president to extend the term if he determines that the investigation is not complete.
Park was impeached by the parliament in December for her alleged link to the corruption scandal involving her confidante Choi Soon-sil. (Yonhap)