Park aides still opposed to Assembly Act revision

The political battle between Cheong Wa Dae and the parliament reached its second round Tuesday with the nation’s top office reiterating its earlier position to exercise veto power over a controversial National Assembly law, despite a toned-down version presented by the rival parties.

National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa sent the bill enabling lawmakers to seek changes to government ordinances Monday afternoon to seek President Park Geun-hye’s endorsement. The delivery came after a compromise reached between the ruling and main opposition party in the wording of the revision.

The changed wording of a clause in the bill says that the Assembly could “request” the government review its ordinances. The earlier version said that the lawmakers could “demand” a revision of government-enacted ordinances.

Park had stood in stern opposition to the bill, pressuring the parliament saying she would use her veto power if no changes were made to the bill before it reaches the stage of her endorsement. She said it clearly violates the constitutional principle that stipulates the division of powers. The bill could also paralyze the function of the executive branch, she said.

The ball is now back in President Park’s court, but her spokesman expressed discontent with the latest version, indicating that it still has issues with unconstitutionality.

“The bill was sent with (just) one word being fixed. There’s no change in our position,” he said at a daily press briefing.

The president can constitutionally exercise a veto within a 15-day period after the parliament sends a bill to receive the president’s signature. If the president returns the bill, the parliament is required to put the bill up for vote again. To override the president‘s veto, the Assembly would require approval from more than two-thirds of attending lawmakers. If it fails to meet the quorum, the bill would automatically be scrapped.

Min, however, refrained to answer when the president would exercise her veto.

Observers said the matter is likely to be discussed during a weekly Cabinet meeting next week, or even at a later time, as the president is at the moment struggling to resolve growing public resentment toward the government’s bungled responses to the Middle East respiratory syndrome.

The president exercising her veto over the bill would further intensify the feud between her and the parliament, particularly with her own party, observers said.

Complaints have been growing within the Saenuri Party with Cheong Wa Dae publicly denouncing the ruling party for succumbing to the opposition’s demands to pass the bill.

By Cho Chung-un ()