Rival parties were close to an agreement Thursday to convene the first session of the 19th National Assembly early next week, after weeks of squabbling over the formation of the standing committees.

The new parliament was originally set to open June 5.

The vice floor leaders of the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic United Party met later in the evening to draw up a final agreement.

The Saenuri earlier in the day held an emergency Supreme Council meeting and decided to accept the DUP’s demand to open a parliamentary investigation into the contentious government surveillance of civilians.The DUP’s demand for the probe had been the main sticking point in the negotiations.

The Saenuri Party will hold a general meeting Friday to approve the agreement, party sources said.

The parties also reportedly agreed to discuss the ongoing media strike at the relevant standing committee as requested by the Saenuri Party, and to open a special counsel to probe the controversy concerning President Lee Myung-bak’s retirement home purchase.

The main parties reconfirmed the principle of allocating 10 standing committee chairman seats to the ruling Saenuri and the remaining eight to the DUP. Accordingly, the DUP will be heading two additional committees compared to the previous parliament.

The Assembly could open its first session Monday at the earliest, during which the speaker and vice-speakers will be elected.

The month-long impasse invited mounting criticism as the deadline neared for the Assembly to hold confirmation hearings on Supreme Court justice nominees by July 4.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)