[Editorial] Unqualified for Court

As the appointment motion for president of the Constitutional Court was not carried on during the plenary session of the National Assembly on September 8 due to procedural troubles, a situation which has never happened, serious political disorder is threatening.

It was a problem that the National Assembly moved forward a personnel hearing without noticing the procedural troubles in advance. However, fundamentally, president Roh should be blamed that he stuck to favoritism in personnel management, and that he adopted an expediency to extend Jeon Hyo-sook’s terms of office.

Jeon complied with Cheong Wa Dae’s request for resignation, showing no conviction as a justice of the Constitutional Court who should keep political neutrality and independence as dear as life. We believe that Jeon has already turned out to be unqualified for president of the Constitutional Court in that she did not recognize that acceptance of presidency after resignation from justice was expediency. Therefore, Jeon should also take the blame for this.

The ruling Uri party plans to carry the appointment motion in the plenary meeting on September 14, but should not repeat such expediency as the National Assembly speaker puts by virtue of his authority. They should not try in a sloppy way by winning the Democratic Labor Party and Democratic Party over to their side. In a democracy, procedural fairness is more important than results. Appointment of a president of the Constitutional Court is such a case.

If the ruling party enforces the expediency, the regular session, which should deliberate people’s livelihood bills and start parliamentary inspection of administration, will highly likely be limping. As the Grand National Party expressed their intention to file an action against unconstitutionality, the government under a stringent political situation will potentially be plunged in confusion.

The National Assembly should also account for the fact that it could not notice the legal, procedural troubles related to the expedient arrangement for president of the Constitutional Court. Where were all the numerous assemblymen from legal circles?

The Uri Party said belatedly, “We will revise the law to make a joint personnel hearing with both the president and justice of the Constitutional Court.” However, this just means acknowledgement of expediency. The affairs of the nation cannot help getting entangled since the ruling party lies at such a low level. It is also deplorable that the Grand National Party wavered over the appropriate way. They are political parties that have no one to take care of affairs properly.

Roh should reconsider the appointment of the president of the Constitutional Court from the beginning. If he unreasonably keeps unyielding for the “Jeon Hyo-sook card,” he will become the president raising turbulence more and more without settling down the political aberrations that have already been caused.