Twelve days are left until the National Assembly is constitutionally obligated to approve the 2014 budget bill. There are many other bills that the administration would like the legislature to pass before it closes its current 100-day regular session on Dec. 10, as scheduled.

This is not to say the regular session cannot be extended. On the contrary, it will probably need an extension, with little progress being made in the budgetary process. Barring a sudden breakthrough in the impasse, the best that can be hoped for is the bill’s passage before the end of the 2013 fiscal year.

The stumbling block is a standoff in talks between the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party on the opposition’s demand for an investigation by an independent counsel into allegations that government agencies intervened in the presidential election last year.

The opposition had hoped for a breakthrough in the impasse when President Park Geun-hye was scheduled to address the National Assembly on her budget proposal Monday. When she delivered her speech, however, the opposition said it was deeply disappointed.

In her speech, she said her administration would shed light on suspicions that the National Intelligence Service and other government agencies engaged in an online smear campaign against the opposition candidate. She promised that none of those held responsible, when confirmed by a court ruling, would be spared punishment.

Then she went on to say that she would accept an opposition-initiated solution to any problem if it is agreed on by the rival parties. Given this remark, it would be possible for an independent counsel to launch an investigation if the ruling party agreed to the opposition’s demand.

But the opposition regards her remark as mere rhetoric. Its leader, Rep. Kim Han-gil, said, “She talked a lot. But she failed to give the right answer (to our demand).”

On the other hand, the ruling party says “she fully answered to the opposition’s demand” although she did not directly mention it. If so, what the ruling party needs to do is to propose negotiations with the opposition and strive to reach an early agreement on the details regarding the appointment of an independent counsel. It has little time to waste, given that the year’s end, not to mention budgetary deadline, is fast approaching.

Preferably, Park may invite the leaders of the rival parties to the presidential office for discussions on pending issues, including the passage of bills designed to back up her policy initiatives. She may call for the speedy passage of the budget bill again, as she did at the National Assembly.

After all, she needs help from the opposition if she wishes to proceed with her pet projects without a hitch. No one is better positioned to move the political process away from confrontation with the opposition to gain mutual benefits.