[Editorial] Hope for a government for the people

What is the root of the in-fighting among lawmakers that causes them to neglect their duties of promoting public welfare and passing bills? Countless people have asked this question through the years, and more so recently. The opposition party`s call to arms through boycotts when it faced the corrupt authoritarian past government, which wielded unreasonable power, is understandable. Boycotts by parliamentarians are at times necessary and serve certain functions. However, by disregarding their obligations for an extended period as they bicker over insignificant issues, the ruling and the opposition parties have come under fire from an increasingly concerned public.

Many of the foreign ambassadors and envoys who have observed "Korean-style" politics with interest have posed the same question to Korean lawmakers. Upon hearing that a boycott is a necessary tool to pressure a ruling party that fails to give greater consideration to the demands of the opposition, the foreign envoys are at times puzzled, and ask, "What function does it serve to turn their backs on the problem? With their great difference in opinions, shouldn`t there be greater interchange and exchange between the two parties as solutions are worked out?"

The lawmakers on the Science, Technology, Information and Telecommunication Committee pledged last week to set aside all bipartisan interests and convene unconditionally, even if the rest of the assembly should grind to a halt. The committee consists of eight lawmakers from the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), four from the opposition Grand National Party (GDP) and four others. All have signed a declaration to the effect that they will carry out their duties unconditionally. Although the National Assembly may be crippled and in a state of precarious balance, the twelve men do possess an effective means of officially opening the Assembly through an official request to convene.

It is indeed a relief and a flicker of hope. For too long there has been a reversal of roles where instead of the government looking out for the welfare of its people, the citizens watched anxiously and worried about the Parliament. The pledge is all the more welcome as it follows the relatively younger lawmakers` refusal to become henchmen for their parties. It appears as though the political reform which has been hoped for by so many for so long is beginning to spring up in the hidden corners of the Parliament.

With such recent developments, hopes are high for a sweeping transformation that will overhaul the "old ways" in our government system. An opposition GNP lawmaker commented on the pledge, "As there are lesser areas of contention and bipartisan interest for the SICC, the lawmakers will be able to live up to their promise." He further added, "It is my hope that our action can be an example for other members of the Assembly." The ruling MDP`s lawmakers also agree that political reform must brought on by assemblymen themselves.

With a call by certain lawmakers to abandon meaningless conflict and rhetoric in favor of detailed discussion with the interests of the public at heart, and the ommittee`s "conscience proclamation," there finally appears to be a light visible at the end of a long tunnel.