GNP Attacks the Blue House

The Grand National Party (GNP) began to attack President Roh Moo-hyun and the Blue House. With a few days ahead of the decision on President Roh’s impeachment, the GNP plainly expressed its’ uncomfortable feelings against the Constitutional Court.

“The chief presidential secretary (Kim Woo-sik) was spreading the wedding invitation cards of his son to the press, and the senior presidential advisor (Lee Jung-woo)’s recent remarks seem to blame the press and credit defaulters for the sluggish economy,” said GNP’s floor leader Kim Hyung-o in the party’s executive meeting on May 12. “We are in a difficult economic situation, while the Blue House is way too easygoing.”

The chief of GNP’s planning committee Lee Kang-doo also said that it is regrettable to see the Blue House behaving as if the impeachment motion has been dismissed, even though the final decision from the Constitutional Court has yet to be made. Lee criticized that President Roh should “feel shameful for the fact that he is the first president ever in our constitutional government history to be impeached” and needs to control himself.

The Constitutional Court’s decision on closing minority opinions of impeachment to the public has also become the target of criticism.

If the minority opinion is disclosed regardless of the decision that turns out to be a dismissal, the GNP can expect it will be able to persuade the public to understand that impeachment motion against the president was inevitable. On the same line, Kim urged that the Constitutional Court should reveal every opinion based on the Constitutional law and the conscience, under the situation when the scene of announcing the decision will be broadcasted live. GNP spokesperson Jun Yeo-ok also mentioned during a press meeting that the Constitutional Court should be wise enough to reveal the minority opinions as the major subject of judging the impeachment motion in our history.

Yeon-Wook Jung jyw11@donga.com