The People Power Party (PPP) plans to counter the "second comprehensive special counsel extension bill," which the Democratic Party is expected to try to pass in a plenary session of the National Assembly, with a filibuster, or unlimited debate.
In a message delivered to its lawmakers and working-level staff on the 16th, the PPP's floor administration bureau said, "The Democratic Party abandoned the spirit of bipartisan cooperation in organizing the second half of the term and unilaterally convened the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to force through an amendment to the second comprehensive special counsel law extending the investigation period, and is insisting on forcing it through a plenary session on the 20th." It added, "In response, our party plans to strongly counter this with unlimited debate."
The bureau also said, "Given the gravity of the situation at the National Assembly, please adjust your schedules in advance so that all lawmakers can stand by on the premises starting Monday morning next week," adding, "The schedule for the plenary chamber guard team and the general meeting will be announced later."
Regarding this, PPP Chief Spokesperson Choi Bo-yun met with reporters after a supreme council meeting and said, "The filibuster is a matter currently under discussion," adding, "I will speak once it is finalized."
National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik was reported to be meeting with the floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties on the afternoon of the same day to discuss negotiations on organizing the National Assembly and the schedule for opening plenary sessions.
Earlier, the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee passed a bill extending the investigation period of the second comprehensive special counsel on the 15th, led by the Democratic Party in the absence of PPP lawmakers (an amendment to the Act on the Appointment of a Special Counsel to Investigate the Insurrection, Foreign Aggression and State Affairs Manipulation by Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Keon-hee). The amendment extended the special counsel's investigation period by an additional 30 days. The existing scheduled end date is the 24th of this month.
The amendment also increased the number of civil servants dispatched to the special counsel from the current cap of 130 to 150, and added to the scope of investigation acts such as obstruction of audits by civil servants through dereliction of duty, abuse of authority, and disclosure of official secrets.
