[Editorial] It`s Too Early for Such Theory of `Joint Presidential Candidate`

The recent issues about the joint presidential candidate of the ruling side raised by the acting president of the United Liberal Democrats and chairperson of the Democratic People`s Party seemed not a simple utterance to promote the `Big Dream for JP` of the United Liberal Democrats and the `king maker` function of Kim Yoon Hwan. Their suggestion is on the same line of thought of so-called `the New Millennium Democratic Party`s Strategic Document for the Selection of Presidential Candidate`, which had brought about controversies on the genuineness of the document.

There is nothing new about the merge theories of the coalition of ULD, DPP, and NMDP. Particularly, considering that the NMDP leaders strongly hoped to merge the three member parties of the coalition, the joint candidate theory is very plausible regardless the genuineness of the document.

However, when reflecting the joint candidate theory, one may easily recognize that the competitive structure of the ruling NMDP is a fake. The political schedule to select the presidential candidate at the party`s convention next year may be nullified. Hence, the leading group of NMDP responds sensitively to so-called joint candidate theory.

There is no reason to prevent the ruling coalition from merging in or selecting a joint candidate. The joint candidate theory to encircle the opposition leader Lee Hoi-Chang may be a strategy of the ruling party. The outcomes of the strategy will be judged by the people on the political maneuvers of the candidates who had changed their party from the opposition to the ruling for the sake of their own benefits.

The problem is whether this is the right time to dispute about `the joint candidacy of the ruling side`. In the midst of the political conflicts and controversies, the joint candidate theory will catalyze the political chaos and eventually leads to the ignorance of the national welfare.

Maybe, it would be better that the ruling side present a concrete timetable for the joint candidate if ULD and DPP go for it and the ruling NMDP also wanted to throne a joint candidate as the `secret document` describes. If not, they must clarify their `No`. People have experienced enough fake denials and the revival of all those theories at the presidential election.

The politics has to be predictable. The party`s leaders and specific groups should not manipulate the political content and procedure, while leaking some words to examine the public responses. The voters and the people will not allow them to do such things any more.

The ruling side, especially the New Millennium Democratic Party must pull itself together. It`s not a proper time to talk about a joint candidate.