If Choi Do-sul Investigation is Incomplete, Independent Counsel on the National Administration Will be Put in Operation

The three opposition groups - Grand National Party (GNP), Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), and United Liberal Democrats (ULD) - positively reached an agreement on October 15 that they will put into operation the investigation of the parliament of the National Assembly and independent counsel on the suspicion of Choi Do-sul, former presidential secretary for general affairs, which had paved the way for President Roh Moo-hyun’s proposal of a “plebiscite for a confidence evaluation on December 15.”

The three opposition groups agreed that the responsibility for the upheaval of a confidence evaluation is on President Roh and the inquiry on the actual state of things of Choi should proceed. The three groups also agreed to cope with the plebiscite subject. Because of them, the plebiscite for a confidence evaluation this year will be dispelled in reality.

The leaderships of the three opposition groups: Choe Byung-yul leader of the GNP, Park Sang-cheon leader of the MDP, Kim Jong-pil prime minister of the ULD, and the floor leaders Hong Sa-du, Chung Kyun-whan, and Kim Hak-won held a six-way meeting today at the National Assembly and agreed saying, “If President Roh does not reveal the facts on the suspicion of Choi, we will put in force the investigation of the parliament, and if the prosecutor’s investigation is incomplete, the independent counsel will be propelled.” They also agreed in views that, “We will sternly cope with the upheaval of a confidence evaluation, which is the product of President Roh’s incompetence and wrong administration.”

Prior to this, at his representative speech at the negotiation body, Park of the MDP claimed President Roh’s retraction of his proposal for a plebiscite saying, “President Roh’s proposal of a plebiscite for a confidence evaluation does not only run counter to the constitution but also is a gun and sword-less coupe tactic, which looks for populism and breaks the constitution system.” Park continued, “The National Assembly will not enact a law for a plebiscite that goes against the constitution and has made it clear that they will not accept an amendment of the referendum law, which is essential for a plebiscite.”

Park urged that, “President Roh has to confess the details of the Choi scandal and apologize to the nation.” He suggested an administration of the regular eight-way meeting, which includes the leaders and floor leaders of the four parties, to discuss pending questions on the political situation under the confidence evaluation.

Park also said, “To stamp out the aides of the president’s dishonesty and corruption and disorder of the national administration due to the emperor presidential system, President Roh has to pay attention to his pledge, the decentralized presidential system, which will take effect in 2006.” He also stressed on the necessity of the constitutional amendment, which has characteristics of decentralizing authority.

Park insisted, “As promised in his pledge, President Roh has to carry into effect a ‘responsible prime minister system,’ which takes advantage of the prime minister and state minister system that is stated clearly in the constitution. After next year’s general election, even though the presidential system is decentralized, the president takes charge of the foreign policy and the cabinet which is a constituted coalition of the majority National Assembly, the domestic affairs.”

Sung-Won Park Myoung-Gun Lee swpark@donga.com gun43@donga.com