Grand National Party Spokesman Kwon Chul-hyun said Tuesday that the Millennium Democratic Party¡¯s attempt to block a resolution, calling for the release of jailed newspaper owners and a halt to suppression of the media, was due to fear of the possible repercussions when it is passed. Kwon said that the MDP has no right to block a resolution being introduced at the National Assembly, and the GNP would see that it passes despite any hindrance.
Kwon quoted Chosun Ilbo President Bang Sang-hoon¡¯s closing statement at his trial, in which he said that in spite of physical and spiritual hardship he and his newspaper would be victorious in their fight for a free press.
The GNP¡¯s Park Chong-eung, who initiated the resolution, issued a statement saying that the MDP¡¯s attempt to block a lawful resolution being presented to the Assembly¡¯s committee was anti democratic and anti Assembly behavior, that destroyed the parliamentary process. Park said that the sudden attempts at blocking the resolution, five days after it was presented to the committee, meant that MDP members were acting under orders from Cheong Wa Dae. He called their arguments that the resolution compromised the separation of the judicial, legislative and executive branches of government as totally ludicrous.
Park said that in the history of the National assembly, 28 resolutions such as his had been introduced, 12 of which had been passed. He urged the immediate release of the detained newspaper owners, saying the prosecution¡¯s request for harsh punishment for the Chosun Ilbo (seven years imprisonment and W13 billion in fines) was evidence of the government¡¯s continued attempts at suppressing the media.
The draft resolution was introduced on October 11 by 56 GNP and United Liberal Democrat lawmakers. It is currently under study at the National Assembly¡¯s Culture and Tourism Committee.
(Choi Ku-shik, qs1234@chosun.com)
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