In the Press
Special counsel bill over Marine's death scrapped in revote; PPP launches filibuster over broadcasting bills
- Aug 09, 2024
- 34
SEOUL, July 25 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly on Thursday rejected a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the military's response to a Marine's death, while the ruling People Power Party (PPP) launched a filibuster over contentious broadcasting bills.
The special counsel bill, which was up for a revote after President Yoon Suk Yeol vetoed it for the second time, was voted down in a 194-104 vote with one abstention at a parliamentary plenary session and ultimately scrapped for the second time after it was voted down in May.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP), which has a controlling majority of 170 seats in the 300-member Assembly, attempted to override Yoon's veto but was six votes short. A vetoed bill requires support from two-thirds of lawmakers to override the presidential veto.
The DP-led bill calls for the appointment of a special counsel to look into allegations the presidential office and the defense ministry inappropriately interfered in the military's investigation into the death of Cpl. Chae, who was killed during a search mission for victims of heavy downpours in July 2023.
The PPP has argued adamantly against the bill, citing the need to first see the results of separate investigations by the police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials.
Meanwhile, one of the four controversial broadcasting bills aimed at reducing the government's clout over public broadcasters was tabled at the session, prompting the PPP to stage a filibuster.
Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik earlier said he would table the four bills pushed by the DP during the session.
"We cannot agree on the unilateral move of the Democratic Party (DP) that has held a parliamentary committee meeting and pushed through the four bills on taking control of broadcasting without any proper or serious discussions between the ruling and opposition parties," PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho said during a supreme council meeting.
He vowed to respond strongly to prevent the DP's push to "take permanent control of public broadcasting."
A filibuster involves lawmakers holding the floor for extended periods as a way to prevent a parliamentary vote or delay the passage of a bill.
Right after the filibuster began, the DP submitted a request to end it with the consent of its 170 lawmakers to put the bill to a vote.
Under the National Assembly Act, a filibuster can be stopped after 24 hours if at least three-fifths of all parliament members, or 180 lawmakers, consent to it.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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[Photo 1] A plenary session of the National Assembly opens in Seoul on July 25, 2024. A bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the military's response to a Marine's death is put to a revote after President Yook Suk Yeol vetoed it earlier this month. (Yonhap)
[Photo 2] Lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party lodge a protest against Speaker Woon Won-shik (3rd from R, standing on the podium) during a plenary session of the National Assembly in Seoul on July 4, 2024. Woo called for the suspension of their filibuster, which aimed to block a vote on an opposition-led controversial bill to introduce a special probe into the death of a Marine, after the 24-hour filibuster deadline expired. (Yonhap)
