[Editorial] For Uri Party to Become a “Real Party in Power”

The Uri Party officially launched its founding ceremony yesterday. It is regretful to witness the party which produced the president to split into two, with one of them already hanging out a new sign, and not even one year has passed since the new president came into power. In addition, both parties have been hurt during the splitting process, and issues over illegal election funds are already shadowing their future. This is the reason why we cannot just celebrate its official launch.

In order for the Uri Party to overcome these concerns and become a “real party in power,” it has to work on differentiating itself from other existing parties. It has to show its actual work in its will to “cut off the rotten root of old politics” as assured in the launch ceremony and prevent this from becoming an empty pledge. This is the only way to overcome the limitations of a party in power as an absolute minority with 47 seats in the National Assembly surrounded by other opponent parties.

Most of all, they have to clear up the doubts related to the illegal election funds. As President Roh Moo-hyun has said in a message sent for the ceremony, “We cannot solve problems by covering up our own faults and magnifying others’ faults. We have to find every detail about the political funds,” Uri Party has to reveal its own “scars” first. This will contribute to enhancing the prosecution’s investigation as well as resolving the doubts held by the people about the illegal presidential election funds.

The Uri Party has to put its promises of new politics into practice and show actual results. The party has to take the lead on establishing the framework for political reform such as abolishing local party chapters, normalizing the National Assembly, clarifying the political funds, upward public nomination, overcoming the regional structure, and other relevant issues. If needed, it has to throw away its vested rights also. If it is only intent on increasing its power, then the meaning of the new party will soon be shaded, and the creation of the new party cannot be avoided as being called an urgent plan only used for the coming general election.

It is also right to clarify the relationship between the party and the president as to whether President Roh is joining the party or not. There is no one in this country who does not already know that the Uri Party is a political base for the president, and the vague attitude about the issues related to joining the party is not such a dignified act.