Disagreement over negotiations over investigative authority
On the 24th, Representative Lee Jun-seok and floor leader Kwon Seong-dong, who are the “two-top” of the people’s power, expressed disagreement over the mediation plan to adjust the prosecution’s investigation authority. In regards to the arbitration plan agreed upon by floor leader Kwon, Lee made a discord, stating the need for renegotiation within two days.
In a Facebook post on the same day, Chairman Lee said on the 22nd that the arbitration plan agreed by the ruling and opposition party leaders was “impossible to push further legislation in a situation where there are serious contradictions.” However, regarding floor leader Kwon, who led the negotiations, he added, “He made the best possible negotiation.” While praising floor leader Kwon, he publicly mentioned the “new negotiation” and in effect made public the necessity of renegotiation.
On this day, floor leader Kwon said, “The negotiation is my responsibility,” but he said to those around him, “I will fully listen to opinions from the highest level.” As critics continued to criticize that “the politicians were trying to avoid investigations such as election crimes on their own,” floor leader Kwon apologized three times on the 23rd and 24th, saying, “I am sorry to the disappointing people.” On the 23rd, on Facebook, he said, “The biggest hidden toxic clause of the ‘examination and complete deprivation of the prosecution’s investigation authority’ submitted by the Democratic Party is that it completely abolishes not only the prosecution’s direct investigation rights but also the complementary investigation rights.” If I had gone, I wouldn’t have gotten anything.” This means that during the negotiation process, the prosecution’s complementary investigative powers were preserved. However, he said, “I proposed to leave the direct investigation authority of the prosecution up to ‘elections and civil servant crimes’ in the six major crimes, but the demand of the Democratic Party might not be overcome. I apologize to the people.”
On the 24th, floor leader Kwon lowered his head once more, saying, “It was an inevitable choice due to the lack of seats.” However, he insisted, “Struggles without alternatives may increase the popularity of individual politicians, but no one compensates for irreparable damage.”
Earlier, floor leader Kwon said that he persuaded lawmakers who opposed it by emphasizing that there was no realistically possible way to prevent the Democratic Party from passing the original bill if they did not accept the arbitration proposal proposed by National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seok at the general meeting of the House of Representatives on the 22nd. A key party official said, “It was possible to persuade the party because floor leader Kwon was openly communicating with President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol.” After that, floor leader Kwon said that he personally explained the reason for accepting the arbitration proposal along with the situation in the floor to Yoon-elect. On the 23rd, it is known that Justice Minister candidate Han Dong-hoon’s statement on the agreement was also coordinated with floor leader Kwon in advance. However, there are many responses that it is questionable that the People’s Power lawmakers, who showed their will to stick to their opposition until the end, such as the filibuster notice, readily agreed to the mediation plan. A legal official also gave a cynical reaction, saying, “Isn’t this agreement easy because they want a police investigation rather than the prosecution on the crimes in which they are involved, regardless of the opposition?”
Reporter Kang Kyung-seok [email protected]
