KOREA: Assembly speaker to call vote on media bill

Seven hours of marathon talks between the Grand National Party and Democratic Party floor leaders fail to reach a compromise on the media reform bill

The Korea Herald
Wednesday, July 22, 2009

National Assembly speaker said Wednesday the disputed media reform bill will be put to a vote within the day after the ruling party announced negotiations with the opposition have failed, Yonhap News reported.

The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) declared that negotiations on a government-backed bill had collapsed and asked the National Assembly speaker to use his authority to immediately call a vote.

The unilateral move followed seven-hours of marathon talks Tuesday between GNP floor leader Ahn Sang-soo and his counterpart from the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) Lee Kang-rae, which ended without a compromise.

"The negotiations have failed," Ahn said at a party meeting, telling GNP legislators to secure a path for Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o to reach his seat at the main Assembly hall.

About 100 GNP lawmakers quickly formed a human barricade around the speaker's podium. Dozens of ruling and opposition lawmakers had occupied the Assembly hall for the past week to block the rival party from seizing the speaker's podium.

Date Posted: 7/22/2009