[Editorial] `Dongkyo-dong Line Head of Secretary` As Representative of Party

Although executive committee of the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) passed the approval of Han Kwang-Ok as the representative through the `formalistic unanimity` yesterday, internal strife and its cause were not resolved. It would be more correct to view that as a temporary measure considering the authority of President, who is also the president of the MDP. Even the fact that the committee continued to discuss the delay of the vote and approval reveals that conflict and internal strife still remain.

It is our opinion that the root cause of this incident is leadership of President Kim Dae-Jung, since some of the supreme council members and the junior lawmakers` veto against the and dissatisfaction with the Representative Han lie in the `Cheong Wa Dae direct control system`, in which the head of presidential secretarial staff was directly appointed to the representative of the party, not in the personal problem with the representative Han.

The appointment of the head of presidential secretarial staff to the representative of the ruling party is not simply a problem of `ill-shaped` formality. The autonomy of the party and the independence of the National Assembly are the matter that is directly connected to the foundation of democratic politics. Since the beginning of this government, the ruling party has not been freed from the direct control of Cheong Wa Dae, which has operated as a major factor of hindering parliamentary democracy. If the government is busy with strengthening pro-government system, without looking at the fundamental problem, it cannot get away from a personnel appointment that is apart from reform.

It is needless to say that the core of the pro-government system is Dongkyo-dong line. Therefore, when the supreme council member Kim Keun-Tae demanded for the `dissolution of the Dongkyo-dong line`, it was unreasonable to reply to him that ``are you telling us, who created the current President, that we should not have a tea meeting?`` by disregarding the essence of the problem.

At any rate, the representative Han is facing a difficult task of settling down the internal conflict and managing the `small ruling party with the large opposition party` by asking for cooperation of the opposition party. In order to this, `royalty of the head of the presidential secretarial staff` is not enough. He should be able to play the role of the representative of the party. If it is necessary, he should be able to say `no` to Cheong Wa Dae. He should disconnect any close relationship with a particular power line. When he is able to do that, he can be the subject of reform, not the `object of reform`. He should know that only when he can do that, he can be approved as the real representative of the party, not through the `formalistic unanimity`.

Repeatedly speaking, the people are disappointed at the reform of the party. The representative Han should realize that the internal dissatisfaction within the MDP is also that of the people. We will watch over the representative of the party, who came from the `Dongkyo-dong line head of secretarial staff`.