[Editorial] Ruling party must not consider itself acquitted

The plenary session of the National Assembly has been restored after a week-long paralysis to resume its regular proceedings due to the opposition Grand National Party's decision Friday for an unconditional return to the parliamentary chamber. Since the parliamentary debacle of the impeachment motion against the Prosecutor-General, the Grand National Party (GNP) has demanded the ruling Millennium Democratic Party's apologies for the crippled Assembly operation as a prior condition for its return to parliament.

The GNP's early return to the Assembly, as party leader Lee Hoi-Chang stated at his press interview, appears to be its inevitable decision in view of the sharp depreciation of the won against the dollar as well as many strikes that are creating crisis situations for the nation's economy and threatening the grass-roots' livelihood and welfare.

The 215th current plenary session wasted 35 days in its earlier stages of the proceedings. As a consequence, the New Year's 101 trillion budget and 237 bills and other legislative agendas remain in dead storage with no time for any preliminary deliberations on them. Added to that are the parliamentary audit on the Hanvit loan scandal and the public rescue funds, which both ruling and opposition parties agreed to complete during this current session. Both parties must display their authenticity and sincerity in discussing such state affairs with no time for any dilly-dallying.

To be sure, the GNP's unconditional return to parliament should not be taken to mean the acquittal of the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), which is solely responsible for the recent parliamentary debacle. No one can possibly deny the fact that the MDP clearly violated the National Assembly Law by unlawfully incarcerating the Speaker in order to stall voting on the impeachment motion against the Prosecutor-General. The unlawful conduct must duly be accounted. The apology for the current situation should come from the party responsible for it.

The Dong-A Ilbo, through its editorials, has emphasized that President Kim Dae-Jung in his capacity as the MDP president must apologize to the nation, and take disciplinary action against his party members responsible for the unlawful conduct in order to promptly resolve the parliamentary crisis. Yet, President Kim departed Thursday to attend the ASEAN plus Three Summit, leaving only the departure statements that a sense of heavy burdens and responsibility profoundly weighed down on him because of the urgent state affairs which were unresolved due to the parliamentary deadlock.

Upon the hearing of the GNP's decision for the parliamentary normalization, MDP leader Suh Young-Hoon has reportedly said nothing on his party's responsibility for the crippled Assembly except to say ``Let bygones be bygones.'' Such a wish-washy attitude on the part of the ruling MDP represents greatly misguided conduct. This goes against the basic principles of parliamentary democracy in the first place. Nor is it consistent with our prime objective for political reforms.

It is clearly the ruling MDP that acted contrary to the democratic modus vivendi by unlawfully stalling the impeachment motion. It is quite wrong if the MDP attempts here to shift the blame to the opposition party for the parliamentary crisis as if it is the cause of our worsening economy. This will make it impossible to play a sound political game between the two parties. The upshot will be snowballing political distrust and no prospects for viable political development.

GNP leader Lee made it clear that his party will continue to demand the voluntary resignation of the Prosecutor-General. It will also reject Speaker Lee Man-Sup's Assembly presiding after its return to parliament. Apparently, there is some internal controversy within the GNP over its leader Lee's unconditional return to the Assembly. All in all, the current normalization of our parliamentary politics appears as precarious as if we are stepping on thin ice. Now is the MDP's turn to demonstrate its responsible attitude, becoming of a responsible ruling party, for the present political difficulties. Our prosecutors, realizing that they have primarily caused the parliamentary paralysis, should take this opportunity to make a fresh, new start as to win the public's confidence.