[Editorial] Roh and Chung Should Disclose MDP Election Funds

The political situation is in a disturbance ever since the prosecution attempted to summon Rep. Han Hwa-kap who was allegedly involved in fund raising for the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP)’s internal presidential candidate election in 2002. While investigating into the illegal fundraising cases during the presidential election campaign, the prosecution insists that Rep. Han should be questioned according to the fact that he had received money, and that it is not a target-biased probe. However, looking back on the situation, the prosecution’s assertion leaves room for mistrust.

Adopting a form of “public participation,” five candidates, including Rep. Han, gave up in the middle of the MDP’s internal election for a presidential candidate, and the last two finalists were President Roh Moo-hyun and Uri Party chairman Chung Dong-young. There were rumors that most of the electoral colleges were paid large amounts of money as supporters by the candidates. In fact, the former Rep. Kim Young-bae, who had managed the election as a chairman of the election planning committee, exposed that public participatory election was a “fraud.”

If that is the case, it is not reasonable that prosecutors probe into the person had been left out in the middle of election with letting aside the finalists. Although the prosecution said that there were no facts proven for President Roh and Chairman Chung, its decision is against the ideals of fairness and equality. Also, both apparently agreed on the using of illicit funds by saying that “things could not be done within the legislation”(President Roh) and “I feel ashamed” (Chairman Chung).”

Already, the prosecution has been criticized for its unfair investigation regarding illicit fundraising of the presidential election campaign, which was known to be too focused on the Grand National Party (GNP) but too generous to President Roh’s camp. The slush funds that were disclosed so far are 58 billion won from the GNP, whereas Roh’s camp was only 7 billion won. In such situations, the investigation focusing on the loser’s funds cannot help degrading the confidence in the prosecution.

Moreover, Rep. Han insists that high-ranking officials, including current ministers, had persuaded him to join the Uri Party, but that he had rejected all of them, which seemed to result in the launch of the investigation. Prosecutors may well interrogate not only Rep. Han but also President Roh and Chairman Chung for the fundraising case of the MDP’s internal election. Throughout this action, they will be able to prove whether Rep. Han’s assertion of political retaliation is true or false. Another way would be the voluntary cooperation of President Roh and Chairman Chung with the prosecution’s probe.

However, it is hard to get the public’s agreement on whether the MDP and Rep. Han are using the physical defense against the public action of legal enforcement. Accepting the legal procedure would be the only way to persuade their evidence to come forth.