Do not abuse filibuster

Opposition party should resort to dialogue, compromise


The conservative main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) faces severe criticism for filing to use a filibuster in the National Assembly on all 199 bills awaiting votes. The filing Friday led to the plenary session being postponed with no outstanding bills being dealt with.

The LKP's delaying tactic is aimed at blocking two contentious fast-tracked bills on electoral and prosecutorial reform. But it is wrong to take the many other bills aimed at improving people's livelihoods "hostage." In this regard, we urge the largest opposition to retract the filibuster plan immediately.

LKP lawmakers should try to solve the problem through dialogue and compromise. Otherwise, they will face a far stronger backlash from the public. They should realize that most Koreans, both conservative and progressive, are already fed up with partisan struggles and political bickering. The longer the lawmakers try to paralyze the Assembly session, the more public support they will lose.

The LKP leadership may argue that the party is free to use a filibuster to prevent the passage of a specific bill it opposes. But no party should abuse or misuse the tactic, because the stonewalling may put the operation of the Assembly at risk. Especially when it lacks persuasive reason, a filibuster will do more harm than good.

The LKP therefore needs to understand why the Assembly reintroduced the filibuster in 2012 after the tactic was abolished in 1973 under the iron-fisted rule of then President Park Chunghee. The revival was aimed at avoiding frequent physical scuffles and violence between ruling and opposition lawmakers over controversial bills.

The opposition party's use of a filibuster is the direct result of its refusal to find a compromise over the electoral and prosecutorial reform bills that the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and three minor parties designated for fast-track legislation in April. Over the past eight months, the LKP has done little to find a negotiated solution. Instead, the party has played hardball, just opposing the bills without presenting any alternatives.

The LKP has refused to join any discussion about electoral reform designed to increase the number of proportional representatives in favor of smaller parties. It has opposed the bill on fears of losing Assembly seats in the next general election scheduled for April 2020. The party is also against the prosecutorial reform bill that calls for an anticorruption investigation unit to be created. The party argues that the new body could be used to crack down on opposition legislators.

However, the LKP's rationale behind its opposition to the two bills is unconvincing. Its aim appears to try to protect only the vested interests of the conservative party, which is still reeling from the aftermath of the impeachment of former President Park Geunhye.

The LKP should not attempt to stall the fast-tracked bills, which can be put to a vote after Tuesday. It must cooperate with the DPK to pass next year's government budget and other urgent bills linked to people's livelihoods, including an amendment to the Road Traffic Act to ensure children's safety in school zones.

The governing DPK, for its part, should also use its leadership and negotiation skills to narrow the differences and reach a compromise with the recalcitrant LKP. The rival parties should work out a win-win strategy to break the political impasse and better serve the people and the country.