National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik volunteered to hold a news conference to keep alive the constitutional amendment bill that is struggling to move forward due to opposition from the People Power Party. While criticizing the People Power Party, which set "opposition to holding the constitutional amendment simultaneously with the local elections" as its party line, Woo also expressed willingness to meet with Representative Jang Dong-hyeok.
Woo held a news conference at the National Assembly on the 27th and said, "What is the real reason the People Power Party opposes the amendment?" and "They say they support amending the Constitution but not doing it together with the local elections; in the end, that is opposition for opposition's sake."
The constitutional amendment bill introduced on the 3rd of this month by six parties from both the ruling and opposition camps excluding the People Power Party includes the National Assembly's ex post approval power over martial law, the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement and the Buma Democratic Uprising, and provisions on decentralization and balanced regional development.
Woo drew a line against the People Power Party's arguments about the "need for a public deliberation process" and concerns over a "constitutional amendment black hole." Woo said, "The claim that more public deliberation is needed lacks justification," noting, "The People Power Party has refused even to form a special committee on constitutional amendment." He added, "This amendment contains only the minimum items on which a national consensus has already been formed, so I do not understand where a black hole would arise."
He also criticized the controversy over the president's term as "a dishonest claim." He said, "Under Article 128, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution, extension or change of the presidential term does not apply to the incumbent president," adding, "The president has already given an answer."
Woo said, "At the time, as many as 18 People Power Party lawmakers took part in the vote calling for the lifting of martial law, and Representative Jang also voted in favor," and added, "If they now block a constitutional amendment to prevent illegal martial law, who would believe their sincerity?" He went on, "If the amendment is blocked as a party line and thwarted, the People Power Party must bear responsibility."
Woo then said, "I urge the People Power Party leadership and lawmakers," adding, "At a minimum, People Power Party lawmakers must be allowed to vote on the amendment on the floor according to their conscience and convictions."
In response to a question about plans for additional contact with the People Power Party leadership, he said he was "ready to meet at any time," adding, "I plan to ask Representative Jang Dong-hyeok once more to meet, and I will also propose a meeting to Floor Leader Song Eon-seog."
Meanwhile, the six ruling and opposition parties plan to hold a joint meeting of floor leaders on the 28th to discuss ways to handle the amendment bill and response strategies. If the amendment bill passes the plenary session by a two-thirds majority of all lawmakers by May 10, it will be put to a national referendum together with the June 3 local elections. It will be finalized if a majority of eligible voters participate and, of those, a majority vote in favor.