Anchor: The opposition-dominated National Assembly has elected the heads of eleven out of 18 standing committees despite strong opposition from the ruling People Power Party(PPP). The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) took eleven committee chair positions, including the judiciary, broadcasting and steering committees, for the first two years of the 22nd National Assembly in a vote boycotted by the PPP during a plenary session Monday night. 
Kim Bum-soo has more. 

Report: 

[Sound bite: National Assembly plenary session (Mon., Jun. 10)]

Holding the majority of seats at the National Assembly, the main opposition Democratic Party(DP) pushed ahead to elect its lawmakers as chairs of eleven key standing committees, including the judiciary, broadcasting and steering committees.

The ruling People Power Party(PPP) boycotted the plenary vote Monday night, criticizing the DP for breaking the assembly tradition, which had allowed the second largest party to produce the head of the legislation and judiciary committee.

The ruling party had also traditionally produced the chief of the house steering committee. 

With a DP lawmaker leading the legislation committee, the opposition can now override the ruling party's dissent and send bills to the plenary chamber. 

Speaker Woo Won-shik mediated between the ruling and opposition parties but as the two sides failed to reach a compromise, he convened the session, attended by 191 lawmakers, all from opposition parties.

Following the unilateral election of eleven committee chiefs, PPP lawmakers held a protest outside the plenary chamber, denouncing the speaker for siding with the DP. 

[Sound bite: PPP Protest outside the plenary chamber (Mon., Jun. 10)]

The leadership of the remaining seven committees will be decided at a later date but the DP is considering electing its lawmakers to lead them as well. 

The PPP lawmakers are considering boycotting standing committee proceedings as the DP plans to revive bills the president vetoed. 

Speaker Woo said that no tradition is above the National Assembly Act as the ruling party argues that parliamentary politics is dead.  
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.