Cheong Wa Dae to Maintain Same Distance to Ruling and Opposition Parties

President Kim Dae-Jung plans to transform his way of managing national affairs after his resignation from the ruling New Millennium Democratic Party presidency by maintaining the same distance to the ruling and the opposition parties and promoting a scheme of directly explaining important governmental projects to the leaders of the ruling and the opposition parties as well as to those of the National Assembly as a way of supra-partisan management of national affairs.

A top-ranking Cheong Wa Dae official said, ``The substance of changes in managing national affairs is to guarantee equal opportunities to the ruling and the opposition parties and directly persuade the National Assembly.``

With regard to the examination of the new year`s governmental budget in particular, Cheong Wa Dae is known to consider President Kim`s inviting the chair of the parliamentary budget committee and the floor leaders of the ruling-opposition parties to Cheong Wa Dae and explaining the purport of the government`s budget proposal. Cheong Wa Dae is also considering President Kim`s appearance at the National Assembly if necessary before the parliamentary examinations over various issues.

It was also known that President Kim considered it necessary to reshuffle the cabinet members in a large scale after the regular session of the National Assembly in order to visualize his plan to manage the national affairs in a supra-partisan manner.

A top ruling party person said, ``A cabinet reshuffle of this time is to aim at reinforcing a supra-partisan tint by avoiding the appointment of ministers among the members of MDP.`` and continued, ``The Grand National Party`s demand of the replacement of the economic team, the replacement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade concerned with several diplomatic stirs and the issue of Prime Minister Lee Han-Dong`s course of action are being largely considered.``

This person added that President Kim would carry forward his plan to talk with the opposition party leaders to explain his plans for managing national affairs as such and to seek understandings from the opposition party and the general public, while planning to have a press conference sooner or later.

ysmo@donga.com