[Editorial] Grand National Party, Far From “Alternative”

The main reason why there are many citizens who will put confidence in Roh Moo-hyun again despite low approval ratings may be a feeling of uneasiness toward the “alternative power.” This refers to the major opposition Grand National Party (GNP) which is not yet trusted as an authority party.

In regard to the public confidence issue, the GNP can’t show its clear position while insisting “examination into the close aides corruption prior to national referendum” and saying “it is alright for the president to withdraw the public confidence proposal.” We can’t depend on the GNP as an alternative if GNP loses its balance on important state affairs like this.

Opinions on the troops dispatch to Iraq seem to be unclear. GNP can be regarded as trying to read people’s mind as it generally agrees to dispatch troops to Iraq but didn’t decide with the party opinion on that. It is right for a conservative-oriented party to show clear support for the dispatch. This is a way for the main opposition party to take the initiative to lead state affairs in the name of the national interests.

It is shady conduct that the GNP pressured the prosecution, which is investing lawmaker Choi Don-woong (SK scandal) and lawmaker Kim Duk-ryong (Ahn scandal), to disobey the summons. The nation expects the opposition party’s fair and square attitude to the prosecutor’s investigation. To debate the absurdity of the power, most of all, one has to be strict to one’s own absurdity. Emphasizing radical investigation on the bulged-out suspicions of the party in power but insisting on “suppression the opposition party” on its own suspicions of absurdity only make the people not to trust the opposition party. Some lawmakers’ “Not true? Then pass” like irresponsible disclosure at the standing committee or the plenary session of the National Assembly also brings disgrace on their party.

The GNP is the first party in the institution to share the national administration with the president. But the GNP is not inevitable to be blamed that it is hungry for the interests at the real state of the president and government, rather than playing a role as a sharer of the national administration. Now the GNP has to be changed. As the nation‘s first party prior to the party’s interests, it has to lead showing the solutions of the pending questions of the nation. Only if it does that could be an “alternative.”