The parliamentary speaker and floor leaders of the nation’s three major parties failed on Monday to discuss the operation of the National Assembly and pending political issues brought forth by the Choi Soon-sil scandal.
Talks collapsed ten minutes into the meeting as the ruling Saenuri Party’s Floor Leader Chung Jin-suk stormed out of the room, accusing the opposition camp of staging a political offensive by refusing to agree to the establishment of a bipartisan, neutral Cabinet.
In response, the main opposition Democratic Party and the minor opposition People’s Party criticized Chung for fanning conflict.
In a meeting of the ruling party’s Supreme Council earlier in the day, Chung also denounced the opposition parties, saying they are seeking to drag down the president and drive the nation into a state of anomie by refusing the proposal for a bipartisan Cabinet.
The opposition blocs expressed disapproval of the Saenuri Party’s acceptance of the neutral Cabinet proposal, calling it a political maneuver to turn the tide in its favor. They stressed that discussions on forming a bipartisan Cabinet are possible only after the whole truth behind the allegations is brought to light.
Source: KBS World Radio