[Editorial] What National Assembly is for?

Ridiculous things are happening in which the National Assembly denies it own existence. Hearings for parliamentary investigation of the administration for the use of public fund scheduled for Oct. 7-9 were called off due to political rivalry between the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) and the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP). In addition, the Intelligence Committee of the National Assembly is using its energy uselessly for six months and it is not doing inspection of the administration. The GNP and the MDP now connect parliamentary investigation into use of public fund and operation of the Intelligence Committee with their strategies for the December presidential election, turning the National Assembly into a battlefield, not a place for discussion of policies.

The parliamentary investigation of public fund was pushed ahead with according to public demand that whether public fund went into the right places and whether there was no government intervention or special treatment should be examined. The purpose of the investigation is to hold accountable whoever should take responsibility for any misuse of the money and to find a proper way to repay. However, the two parties have been engaged in political fight over reports for the investigation and who should be called in and they failed to hold hearings. It is nothing but betraying the public.

The intelligence committee should be to blame for its failure to hold a plenary session of the committee for half a year. It has a lot to do including examination of budget and accounts of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). With situations surrounding the Korean Peninsula changing rapidly, the National Assembly is idling, instead of reviewing the situation and coming up with countermeasures. It is like neglect of duty. The MDP is apparently raising questions about membership of Rep. Hong Joon-pyo for the Intelligence Committee. But there is criticism that the MDP tries to cover the fact that the NIS dipped into corruption and irregularities involving the government. For its part the GNP is under criticism that it tames the agency in the run-up to the presidential election. Though the parliamentary investigation of use of public fund failed, suspicions over misuse of the money and special treatment could not be hushed up. Regarding this, an opportunity to find the truth should be made. The Intelligence Committee should hurry to start operation. Parliamentary investigation and inspection, and standing committees’ activities are the duty that the public has entrusted lawmakers with. If it neglects these duties, it is like offering a challenge to the public, and denying the authority of its own.