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| ▲ Rep. Kweon Seong-dong (L), acting chair and floor leader of the People Power Party, and Rep. Park Hong-keun, floor leader of the Democratic Party, talk to reporters after a meeting at the National Assembly on July 21, 2022. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
parties-committee formation
Rival parties reach agreement on parliamentary committee formation
SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- The ruling and main opposition parties reached agreement Friday on how to share parliamentary committee chairmanships, paving the way for the National Assembly to go into operation after 53 days of idling.
Under the agreement, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) will take seven committees, including the judiciary, intelligence and public administration committees, while the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) will take 11 committees, including the national policy and science committees.
One of the sticking points in committee formation talks was which party will take the chairmanships of the science and public administration committees. Under Friday's deal, the two sides agreed to alternately hold the chairmanships for one year each.
The standstill in committee formation negotiations had left the Assembly idling for more than a month and a half, forcing a halt in legislation and Cabinet member confirmation hearings. Some minister-level officials were appointed without the hearings.
On Friday, Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, acting chair and floor leader of the PPP, and Rep. Park Hong-keun, floor leader of the DP, reached a final agreement in a meeting chaired by National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo.
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