[Editorial] View on a ‘Withdrawal of Impeachment Claim’ of the Opposition Parties

If the Grand National Party (GNP) and the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) have the intention of proposing a withdrawal of the impeachment of the president to settle this political situation in which public opinion is seriously split, they should drive it forward fairly after assessing parties’ opinions. Although the matter of whether it is possible to legally withdraw impeachment is put aside, if there is a fault to be corrected, it should be done in the name of a party. This is an obligation of a party that passed an impeachment resolution about the president.

Siding with some lawmakers who are afraid of public sentiment turning away from them, Rep. Kim Moon-soo (who ran as a candidate for the leader of the GNP) is leading a current movement that cannot help being seen in the eyes of people as a shallow strategy to “survive in the election at any cost.” If they intend to increase their influence on the pretext of public sentiment and to make the election more favorable even though it has little possibility to be realized, then this is a second time to make fools of the people.

Rep. Kim insisted that the impeachment be repealed, stating, “We should respect people’s will.” He means that the party cannot ignore the reality that more than 70% of people are opposed to impeachment, as shown in a poll. Then, however, what else could be an opinion of majority who had been opposed to the impeachment before a voting in the parliament, if it was not a “will of the people?” Isn’t it an indication that they would consider public opinion only when it seems useful?

There are some lawmakers who now say, “We interpreted the public opinion incorrectly.” Declaring that “We propose a withdrawal of the impeachment,” although such a proposal is not accepted, cannot be interpreted as anything other than a poor excuse to win votes in the general election.

People do not see the action of passing the impeachment as the one of each individual lawmaker. A crosswind is blowing toward opposition parties because they see the action as a collective one mainly led by the GNP and the MDP. If the opposition parties acknowledge their faults, not only a few lawmakers but also the whole parties must come forward to take responsibility. If they cannot do so, they must await a voters’ judgment with modesty and stop making coward excuses.