[Editorial] No Strings Attached to Inter-party Meeting

It is undesirable for chairman of the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) Choe Byung-rul to try to relate the issue of presenting a bill calling for Government Administration and Home Affairs Minister Kim Doo-kwan`s resignation to a proposed inter-party meeting scheduled for Sept 4 at Cheong Wa Dae. His attempt has no reasonable cause and might drive political circles into chaos. Now, Korean politics are in dire need of a politician who has a vision and charismatic leadership.

It is GNP Chairman Choe who proposed the meeting. We are all aware that he has proposed the meeting to discuss pressing issues such as the North`s nuclear issue, economy, and issues related to livelihood of ordinary citizens. Although the meeting, which had initially been suggested in the format of four-way talks, will take place in the format of a five-way meeting, the main purpose may not change.

However, just one day after he agreed to hold a five-way meeting, he warned that if the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) intentionally blocked the bill from being presented to the National Assembly, he would reconsider participating the meeting. Although he said it is only conditional, his behavior showed his narrow-mindedness. Once the GNP decided to present the controversial bill to the parliament, acting on the bill should be dealt with in the National Assembly. In addition, Chairman Choe may be well aware that the ruling MDP has fully engaged in fierce factional feuds between reform-minded lawmakers and party old guards. So, many political analysts estimate that reform-minded lawmakers may be in favor of the bill.

Strictly speaking, Mr. Choe should have delayed presenting a bill on MOGAHA minister`s resignation after the Cheong Wa Dae meeting. It might be difficult for the GNP chairman to frankly talk with the President who has a right to appoint cabinet members right after submitting a bill. This will aggravate the already soured relationship with the President.

Chairman Choe is now suspected that he might have taken a massive political offensive against the president and the ruling party to gain the upper hand at the regular parliamentary session or to address internal conflicts and discords over generational change with the opposition party. If so, he is conducting old politics. We expect him to realize new and forward-looking politics, instead of returning to old politics.