Lawmakers Fight For Control

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By CBS News

M50o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr Lawmakers Fight For Control

Published: Fri, December 14, 2007 - 8:53 am
Last Updated: Friday, December 14, 2007 - 11:36 am

Members of the United New Democratic Party (UNDP) forced open the doors of the National Assembly's main hall and marched up to the podium where members of the main opposition, the Grand National Party (GNP), remained firmly rooted.

When UNDP members attempted to reach the podium, scuffles broke out between the two sides leaving one man apparently unconscious on the ground.

TV footage showed the man being carried out of the hall on a stretcher by fellow lawmakers.

The situation in the National Assembly escalated after the pro-government party prepared to push through an impeachment motion against prosecutors who had investigated alleged financial wrongdoings of the leading opposition presidential front-runner, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

The UNDP declared on Wednesday that the controversial impeachment motion was ready for the vote.

Critics of the prosecutors allege that they concealed the involvement of GNP candidate, Lee Myung-bak, in a 2001 stock manipulation and embezzlement case, said Yonhap.

The news agency say that the dispute has been disrupting the extraordinary parliamentary session gathered to consider several critical bills, including an extension for South Korea's troop deployment in Iraq.

Opposition (GNP) lawmakers have occupied the Assembly's main chamber since Thursday and have blockaded the speaker's podium to prevent him from putting the bill to a vote.

If a vote on an impeachment motion is not concluded within 72 hours then it is automatically scrapped, said Yonhap

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