At a Monday session, the DP elected 11 affiliates to chair the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, the National Policy Committee and nine other committees, thus ending a months-long political deadlock in the National Assembly. The party was already in charge of six other committees, including the one on legislation and judiciary.
The DP was unable to select a chairman of the Intelligence Committee due to absence of the approval from the deputy speaker from the main opposition party, the United Future Party (UFP).
The UFP has accused the DP of sidestepping the opposition after the ruling party refused to give up the chairmanship of the key committee on legislation and judiciary. The minor left-wing Justice party also boycotted the voting and has accused the DP of "one-party monopoly," according to Yonhap.
For the first time since 1988, one party is set to take up all the standing committee chairman seats — the DP is likely to occupy the Intelligence Committee chairman seat as well amid the opposition’s boycott.
