Hypocritical `reformists` of the ruling party

The leadership of the ruling Saenuri Party has been inconsistent before and after the National Assembly’s rejection of an arrest motion for party lawmaker Chung Doo-un on the charge of bribery. Party floor leader Lee Han-koo, showed his lack of leadership in merely stressing why lawmakers should give up privileges such as immunity from arrest as part of parliamentary reform efforts. Many other lawmakers said they had never received a phone call from Lee on the matter. Party chairman Hwang Woo-yea made a fuss after the motion`s rejection, announcing a public apology and expressing concern over the party losing support in the presidential election in December. The series of events makes it questionable whether the party was committed to reform in the first place.

Park Geun-hye, former party chief who is the leading presidential contender, urged Chung to voluntarily face a corruption investigation right before a gathering of party lawmakers. Her request suggested that the party would expel Chung if he failed to take satisfactory measures. As de facto leader of the party, however, Park is not free from responsibility over the incident. The ruling party is getting increasingly dependent upon Park rather than taking the democratic procedures of holding heated debates and seeking a consensus. This is why many people call Saenuri Park’s private party. Though she denies being a bad communicator, the party’s sclerosis around her is becoming more serious.

The self-purported “reformists” who led the parliamentary rejection of the motion for Chung’s arrest were so hypocritical. The party selected giving up a lawmaker’s immunity from arrest as the first reform task in its first emergency meeting in December. The so-called reformists led the decision. Kim Yong-tae, one of the reformists, asked his fellow lawmakers, “Many of you are being investigated for election law violations. You never know when prosecutors will seek a motion for your arrest.” The comment egged on other lawmakers to stick to their privilege of immunity from arrest. Such behavior is so opportunistic. Chung said, “Under current law, there is no way to give up the non-arrest privilege even if I want to.” If that is true, he should show up at the prosecution voluntarily after the end of the parliamentary session.

The no-arrest privilege is guaranteed by the Constitution. Revising the Constitution is tough but lawmakers should revise relevant laws and regulations to live up to the spirit of giving up lawmakers’ privileges. The public would applaud workable reform efforts by politicians, not their political rhetoric.

The main opposition Democratic Unity Party hardly deserves to point its finger at the ruling party. Though many of its lawmakers voted against Chung’s arrest, they put all the blame on the ruling party. Park Jie-won, floor leader of the main opposition party who is under investigation over his involvement in illegal political funds, should first announce that he will respond to the prosecution summons with dignity.