[Editorial] The GNP Should Be Faithful to Its Role as Opposition Party

The opposition Grand National Party (GNP) should develop today’s convention into the party’s turning point by revamping all its operations, rather than merely electing a new chairperson and supreme assemblymen. Otherwise, the nation will turn its back on the opposition party.

Now, President Roh Moo-hyun’s approval rating has hit bottom, indicating the nation’s brewing anxiety over the political stalemate. Despite this, the GNP, to our dismay, is not viewed as an alternative power bloc we can trust, but as a disconcerted conservative party not faithful to its role as the leading opposition party.

The row over the capital relocation may serve as the best example. Without settling party’s position on such a critical national issue, the GNP has been wincing under public opinion. Much worse, in tackling the nation’s other pending issues, like security inadequacies, economic downturn, and the abuse of the power of government organizations, it has suggested no alternatives and is just being dragged along by the ruling party.

The opposition GNP, in the wake of consecutive debacles in both the general and presidential elections, swore it would be reborn as the new policy-oriented political party stressing “new conservatism.” With such purpose, it has newly set party’s direction toward “reformative, rational advancement.” What is difference now, then? The criticism continues that the GNP is the incorrigibly languishing opposition party. Even within the party, symptoms of internal discord are appearing, and some party members are disgruntled about its cooperative attitude toward the ruling party. Meanwhile, outside the party, people derisively say the GNP is diverging into the powerful conservative bloc and the opportunistic conservative bloc.

It is about time to show something different. The leading opposition party, whose voice is as influential as the president’s in deciding political affairs, should play a leading role in suggesting solutions pressing national issues. If the ruling bloc is doing something wrong, the opposition party should reverse its direction for the nation’s sake. This is a duty the true conservative party should cling to. The GNP’s passive attitude of anticipating secondary benefits from the ruling party’s mistakes will end up as another crippled attempt to become the ruling party.