Opposition leader vows ``people first politics``

Rep. Lee Hoi-Chang, president of the opposition Grand National Party (GNP), demanded Tuesday that the National Assembly invoke the right to investigate state affairs to delve into the government`s privileged loans to the Hyundai Group. The opposition leader claimed that the latest Hyundai problem is not limited to a private corporation, but is a question that is directly linked to the principle of restructuring and the nation`s economic credibility in international market.

Delivering a keynote speech as the representative of a floor negotiating group at the plenary session of the National Assembly, Lee stressed that any kind of special loans, including the proposed debt-to-equity swap, should not be decided before the results of an inspection of Hyundai Engineering and Construction are announced.

Lee said that the government, having gone back on its word several times over the past year, provided a total of 12.73 trillion won to four nonviable Hyundai affiliates. He argued that the government had invited a situation in which ``a stitch in time cannot save nine.``

The GNP president went on to ask why the government was so persistent in refusing to take a step back from the controversial medical reform plan that made it compulsory for pharmacists to dispense medicines only with doctors` prescriptions. He proposed a review of all problems related to the medical reform, including the separation of roles between doctors and pharmacists and the merger of the insurance systems for wage-earners and the self-employed in order to resolve the near-bankruptcy of the medical insurance system.

Diagnosing that overall state affairs are in a state of crisis, Lee promised to cooperate with President Kim Dae-Jung without hesitation, if the president discards his ``dogmatic politics`` and instead concentrates on administering state affairs through supra-partisan means.

Referring to the government`s North Korea policy, the opposition leader said that overall policies toward the North should be reviewed in the wake of the recent Seoul-Washington summit. He urged the government to avoid short-sighted and simplistic attitudes and shed the view that its sole diplomatic goal is securing foreign support for its sunshine policy of engagement.

Touching on a wide range of national problems in the speech, Lee said it was immoral for the government to abuse its legal power by investigating the press, regardless of the fact that it has legal grounding. He made allegations that the National Tax Service, the Fair Trade Commission, the prosecution and the National Intelligence Service were digging into the private lives of reporters by probing their bank accounts.

Lee proposed the forming an independent ``21st Century National Education Committee`` to normalize the nation`s chaotic public education system and called for the revision of the individual bankruptcy system. The GNP leader further urged the government to offer long-term loans with low interest rates to certain people on the ``debt blacklist`` and prepare measures to help livestock farmers and restaurant owners suffering under the foot-and-mouth and mad cow disease scares.

Song In-Soo issong@donga.com