[Editorial] A Presidential Blind Eye

The “Discussion to Restore Public Support in the Aftermath of the May 31 Elections” hosted by first-term lawmakers of the ruling Uri Party two days ago was inundated with criticism about President Roh Moo-hyun for his way of conducting state affairs. Some said, “The president turned a blind eye to public opinion although both his direction and priority of reform were wrong.” Others pointed out, “Pro-North Korean and anti-U.S. attitudes, the media law and the private school law are not reform.” Still others even blamed themselves by saying, “Without the ability to manage a country, what is the use of taking office again?” Although they are not free from the responsibility for the failure of state affairs, there is every reason to listen to them in that they did understand public opinion, albeit belatedly, and requested the president to conduct state affairs accordingly.

Uri Party Chairman Kim Geun-tae is also renewing his determination to engage in practical politics that focuses on recovering people’s livelihoods, admitting, “We’ve failed to listen to people’s plights so far.” For the same reason, the ruling party members are raising the need to review the existing real estate and tax policies.

However, President Roh is not showing signs of even listening to them, not to mention accepting of their arguments. The president again makes it clear that he would not change the direction of his management of state affairs. His thoughts are so different from those of the ruling party, and he places himself against the party. It is fair that people coined a new phrase to describe that the president totally turns a deaf ear to advice. The president even canceled his speech at the National Assembly scheduled for June 21 after the ruling party asked him to “pay more attention to content.” There are reasons that his approval rating dropped further to 18.2 percent after the local elections.

Under these circumstances, the ruling party should change their responses. It should gain control of the situation by correcting the wrong policies and changing the atmosphere of the country. There is no other option if the president fails to shed his self-righteousness and obstinacy even when at least half of the public believes that the president is the most responsible individual for the ruling party’s election defeat. The fate of the Uri Party hinges on how it will get rid of the president’s “broken watch.”