Rival political parties agreed to convene the tripartite consultative body on state affairs for talks on improving public livelihoods, but without the participation of the acting president.

Main opposition Democratic Party(DP) chief deputy floor leader Park Sung-joon said on Tuesday that the two sides' floor leaders and policy chiefs will meet from 4 p.m. Thursday.

The decision was made at a meeting of National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and the floor leaders of the ruling People Power Party and the DP. 

While the three-way dialogue also involves acting President Choi Sang-mok as a representative of the government, the DP pushed to exclude Choi in protest of his decision to delay the appointment of Constitutional Court justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk.

The DP chief deputy accused the acting president of neglecting the Constitution by refusing to accept the court's ruling that his decision not to appoint Ma was unconstitutional.

PPP chief deputy floor leader Park Hyeung-soo, meanwhile, said the parties agreed to hold a plenary session either on March 13, 20, or 27, but that it could also not be held at all in the absence of an agenda.