The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) on Wednesday requested the parliamentary speaker to convene an interim session for December amid prevailing views that political rivalries may hamper next year’s budget bill from passing within the current parliamentary session.

The party, which holds 169 seats in the 300-member unicameral assembly, unanimously requested a written request to National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo for an extra session starting Saturday. 

The DP and the ruling People Power Party(PPP) are negotiating the budget bill ahead of the looming deadline with the current parliamentary session, the last regular one of the year, set to close with two-day plenary sessions through Friday. 

In an internal memo, the DP said the party still aims to pass the budget bill by Friday, but an extra session may be needed to allow for more time in case the bill is processed later or to proceed with other related tasks. 

Under the parliamentary act, an extra session can be convened at the request of at least a fourth of the lawmakers. The session can be held following a three-day notice.