[Editorial] Time to Blow the Whistle

Things aren’t getting better for the ruling Millennium Democratic Party. Lawmaker Kim Young-bae recently lashed out at the Roh Mu-hyon camp saying the nomination process was a scheme and he might blow the whistle if Roh continued to stand in the way. As the Roh camp wasted no time counterattacking the head of the anti-Roh ally, the feud within the party now seems beyond repair. Now that no other than a leading member of the party calls the nomination a scheme, people feel betrayed yet again by a political show.

What draw attention is that lawmaker Kim in fact led the nomination process as the party’s election committee chairman. He must have known about the nomination race better than any other member. And he does not look like acting on the spur of the moment, either.

At the time of the nomination, in fact, rumors abounded – most of voters were supporters mobilized by candidates and money was offered in return for their votes. In Gwangju, where Roh began to gather steam after the surprising victory, it was speculated that some leaders of the party mobilized a local organization comprising young supporters called “Yeoncheong” and an invisible hand was pulling the strings.

Then candidates gave up the race one after another, raising the doubt whether they were forced to vow out under pressure. Yet, these rumors were dismissed groundless amid the news-making events involving the race.

Having made an allegation, Kim now must let it known whether what he calls a scheme is related to those rumors. As he said he might blow the whistle, he must not hesitate to tell what really happened. We need to reasonably question the legitimacy of the race to make things right for further public participation. It is a contradiction, however, that Kim, who praised the nomination race as a victory of grassroots democracy, now calls it a scheme. Unless the party sets the record straight this time, it will find it more difficult to repair its impaired image.