[Editorial] Candidate Ro Moo-Hyun`s Remarks

The Presidential candidate of the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) Roh Moo-Hyun, explained further his “warning against the prosecution” by alluding unreasonableness. He said, “As a society is farther from reason, a person of loud voice plays king, and it seems the prosecution is pushed around by the loud voice of the opposition party. As the opposition party is noisy, the prosecution is reacting sensitively and executes complete investigation into the ruling camps, but neglects the opposite.”

However, it is doubtful whether the people might nod with consent the remarks of candidate Roh. When a presidential candidate of a public party warns the prosecution, it should more than “a feeling that the prosecution is pushed around by a loud voice.” The specific evidence of “how the prosecution was pushed around by a loud voice” should be clearly presented, because the warning against the prosecution is an important and sensitive matter directly related to the independence of the prosecution, not a mere political tick-to-tack.

Even though MDP is the minority party in the National Assembly following the party defection of the president, MDP in people`s mind is still the ruling party, and candidate Roh is a presidential hopeful of the ruling camp. When candidate Roh utters a warning to the prosecution based on feeling without any clear foundation, the utterance is likely to be interpreted as political pressure on the prosecution, rather than an emphasis on the political independence of the prosecution. Even though an official reaction is not available, “the unpleasant reaction” shown by the prosecution is rather based on this reasoning.

The problems of the prosecution still lie in that it is “the servant of the powerful” since the prosecution underwent various “Gates events” following the “Clothes-for-Lobby incident” of two years ago. Even recently, a power-elite scandal had to be transferred to the special counselors, as the prosecution was unable to investigate the scandal. Furthermore, in a time when suspicion is raised that the prosecution’s investigation on the president’s sons might stop at a certain line, the view saying “why a harsh treatment to the ruling camp” is hard to be shared by people.

Additionally, candidate Roh criticized the representatives of the Grand National Party (GNP) yesterday in Busan, saying, “begging and sticking to the divisionism party” and “lining up in front of party president Lee Hoi-Chang to have their faces remembered.” Criticism or accusation against the opposition might be welcomed. But the words of the presidential candidates should have at least some dignified tone.