[Asia Times=Reporter Park Si-ha] National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik urged both the ruling and opposition parties to form a special parliamentary committee on constitutional revision by the 17th so a constitutional referendum can be held alongside the June 3 local elections.
At the emergency press conference on the morning of the 10th, Woo said amendments to the Public Referendum Act have removed procedural obstacles to constitutional change.
He proposed scheduling the constitutional referendum to coincide with the local elections, warning that if this window is missed, it is unclear when another opportunity will arise.
He said public opinion has overwhelmingly supported a provision that would automatically invalidate a martial law declaration if the National Assembly demands its lifting or if the government fails to secure the Assembly’s approval within 48 hours of declaring it. He argued that the fallout from emergency measures has not fully subsided and that the public’s demands for constitutional reform are now clearly focused, so this moment must not be lost.
Under the Constitution, a proposed amendment must be publicly announced for at least 20 days and then approved by the National Assembly in a plenary session within 60 days. Under the Referendum Act, an amendment passed by the Assembly must be submitted to a national referendum on the Wednesday immediately before the day that falls 30 days after approval. Woo’s office said these provisions mean the amendment must be filed by the 7th of next month.
He also suggested drafting only the partial amendments that both sides can agree on now and then moving, in stages, toward a full constitutional revision.
\"We must secure constitutional reform this time through a staged approach,\" Woo said. \"Don’t repeat years of paralysis by trying to do everything at once. We should do as much as possible—only what we can agree on.\"
On the question of adopting a parliamentary cabinet system, he reaffirmed his longstanding opposition.
He warned that if, after the wounds of Dec. 3, nothing is changed, it would be a dereliction of political responsibility, and he urged the parties to respond responsibly.
Asked whether the People Power Party and others would support the amendment, he said he has discussed the matter with party leaders and floor leaders. He expects substantive debate within the People Power Party and believes the amendment has a strong chance of passing.
