DP to delay vote on ‘media arbitration revision bill’

Aug 31, 2021, 08:32 am

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National Assembly Speaker Park Byung-seug, DP floor leader Rep. Yun Ho-jung, and PPP floor leader Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon take their seats after taking a commemorative photo at a meeting of the ruling and opposition party floor leaders at the National Assembly on August 30, 2021./ Photographed by Lee Byung-hwa

AsiaToday reporter Jeong Geum-min

The ruling Democratic Party (DP) has decided to postpone handling controversial revisions to the media arbitration law to a regular session of the National Assembly in September. The ruling party could have ignored the main opposition People Power Party’s (PPP) filibuster with its superiority in numbers and introduced the bill, however it seems the ruling party chose to stabilize the situation to build a cause for persuasion process.

The DP leadership held an undisclosed supreme committee meeting and a general assembly of members of the National Assembly for a series of internal discussions before the plenary session on Monday. In the process, concerns were raised within the party about the enforcement of the press arbitration revision bill.

The DP’s standing advisors, including former National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang and former lawmakers Kim Won-ki and Lim Chae-jung, as well as former National Assembly Secretary-General Yoo In-tae met with DP leader Song Young-gil at the National Assembly and said the press arbitration revision bill should not be handled as it is being handled now, according to senior DP spokesperson Koh Yong-jin.

“There is a need for media reform, and many senior executives are in favor of the purpose of the revision bill. However, we hope that it should be handled wisely,” they said.

Recently, Cheong Wa Dae also reportedly conveyed concerns about the handling of the bill to the ruling party, which could have influenced the leadership’s decision for the postponement.

However, even if the process is delayed, the ruling party is expected to deal with the media arbitration revision bill as arranged. As the bill is a key bill for media reform pushed by the ruling party, there is the burden of showing clear achievement in reforming legislation to its supporters ahead of the presidential election.

On the other hand, the PPP reviewed post-action measures if the revision bill is passed at the plenary session, such as urging President Moon Jae-in to exercise his veto.

Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, floor leader of the main opposition party, held an emergency briefing at the National Assembly, and said, “We are preparing all the procedures needed to urge President Moon to exercise his veto and hold him accountable if he does not do it.”

“There have been many ups and downs in the process of blocking the legislation due to the small number of seats. However, thanks to our never-ending appeal to the public and activities, many people are already aware that the bill could work as a means to complete the Moon Jae-in administration’s dictatorship of pubic opinion,” PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok said.

#Democratic Party #media arbitration revision bill #People Power Party