DISPUTE CONTINUES OVER PRESS ARBITRATION ACT

[Anchor Lead]

The amendment of the Press Arbitration Act is a contentious issue among lawmakers. The People Power Party says it will stage a filibuster if the bill is introduced at Monday's parliamentary session. This means processing the bill within this month looks unlikely. Many of the Democratic Party lawmakers are also cautious on the issue.

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On Sunday, one day before the parliamentary session on processing the revision to the Press Arbitration Act, the floor leaders of the two major parties met again. The meeting lasted more than an hour but they failed to narrow their differences.

[Soundbite] Yun Ho-jung(DP Floor Leader) : "I explained sufficiently why the law should be revised now. I also explained each of its clauses."

[Soundbite] Kim Gi-hyeon(PPP Floor Leader) : "I explained which clauses are contentious to the opposition and sufficiently expressed my opinion."

The PPP has vowed to stage a filibuster, meaning it's almost impossible for the bill to be processed within this month. If it's presented before the parliament and the main opposition does stage a filibuster, the bill could be processed until the end of the August session, which ends at midnight on Tuesday. In that case, the filibuster will automatically end at the end of this month. Lawmakers will then have to vote on it next month without delay. Processing the bill unilaterally is also risky due to strong opposition from various sectors. One DP lawmaker said a large number of the party members feel uneasy about processing the bill unilaterally. One of the reasons is the possible collapse of the regular parliamentary session. However, the stance of hard-line members is also being taken into consideration, as members who are opposed to processing the bill are being bombarded with text messages urging them to change their stance. DP Chairman Song Young-gil met with his advisers on Monday to hear their opinions. The party will likely finalize its stance after a general meeting. The leaders of the ruling and opposition parties will also hold a televised debate on the Press Arbitration Act on Monday evening.