Parliament to resume, but two-party summit uncertain

With the opposition party expected to return to the floor, the National Assembly is to start deliberations on the government budget and other pending bills Monday in 13 standing committees, including those on Legislation-Judiciary Committee, Finance-Economy Committee and Special Committee on Budget and Accounts. The Finance-Economy Committee will take up the approval of the administration¡¯s request for 40 trillion won in public funds for the bailout of troubled banks and businesses with the presence of Finance Minister Jin Nyum. The Budget and Accounts Committee, on the other hand, is to act on the settlement of budget execution this year and on an administration request for the appropriation of reserve funds while planning the launch of a budget study for the new year on Dec. l.

The ruling and opposition parties will resume negotiations on the witnesses to be summoned to the select committee for special parliamentary probes into the Hanvit Bank loan scandal. On Nov. 28, the bipartisan policy council will meet to discuss proposed laws on the management of public funds and the relief of debts owed by rural communities. The Grand National Party (GNP) resolved during a meeting of its president, Lee Hoi-Chang, and two top party officers that it would delay action on the public funds at the plenary house session Nov. 30 if the government and the ruling party do not provide detailed data and cooperate with the opposition to ensure the relevance and transparency of the fund use.

Lee indicated his party's interest in cutting the amount of public funds to be approved to the necessary minimum for the time being as the money comes from the toil and sacrifices of taxpayers. At the same time, a proposed meeting between Lee and President Kim Dae-Jung upon the latter's return home hangs in the balance due to the negative response from the GNP leader. He said Sunday that he was not interested in top-level talks with the President and wants pending issues to be dealt with in the legislative chamber.

Lee observed that there is no need for a hurried meeting with President Kim now that Kim is hard pressed for time to leave the country to attend the Nobel Prize awarding ceremony. He added that he will try to resolve problems inside the National Assembly instead of holding a bipartisan summit.

Yoon Young-Chan yyc11@donga.com