[Editorial] Discuss Constitutional Amendment for National Future

Grand National Party (GNP) announced constitutional amendment as major election pledge.

Main issue of constitutional amendment is how it changes power structure.

Reformist committee of GNP presented `four year re-appointment system, President and Vice-President System, Cabinet System, etc, however, as candidate Lee Hoi-chang has preferred Presidential system, changing current five years single appointment in to four years double appointment is likely to be the main subject.

Current five years single appointment system is `deformed achievement of June resistance, in 1987`.

National anti-emotion on long military domination was crucial factor for fastening President`s term for five years.

Political interest among parties so called `Three Kim`s share of opportunity for regime` might have operated, too.

The problem is that three governments under five year`s single appointment were not successful, after all.

Although we can`t define that failure of those three governments was due to five years single appointment system, but now, it is needed to examine carefully how it worked on `failure of government`.

In particular, the thing what causes refutation is structural unstable politics due to discord between President`s term and members of National Assembly`s term.

Some insists that members election in the mid of Presidential term plays positive role in mid-evaluation, however in our political reality, it strongly expanded and re-produced political instability by excessive political dispute.

President of the United Liberal Democrats, Kim Jong-pil recently said, “no matter who becomes President, he will go through misfortunate procedure in two years”.

He might have considered general elections (April, 2004) which next regime will face after 14 months.

It is persuasive that the situation such as `minor ruling party and majority opposition` has appeared in every general elections since 1987.

However, premise to change power structure in nation should not be promoted by parties` interest or strategic dimension.

Discussion on constitutional amendment should be done considering national future under people`s wide agreement.