The National Assembly hearings on president Roh Moo Hyun's new appointments to cabinet and other posts came to an end Thursday having exposed many questions, particularly regarding their significance and effectiveness. From their very introduction such hearings were only half of what they should have been, since they merely allow the National Assembly to express its opinion on presidential appointments and the results of committee votes are not legally binding. It is mutual respect and a spirit of trust that are left to fill in the rest, but that was not at all the case with this recent series of hearings.
It lacks rationality for the ruling Uri and main opposition Grand National (GNP) parties to have respectively judged appointees "qualified" and "unqualified." There can of course be slight differences on the qualifications of a candidate for high-ranking government position, but when a committee's assessment of an individual is divided right along party lines the only interpretation one is left to make is that it is the petty partisan politics.
Now that it is crystal clear that there are structural problems with the current format it is essential that something be done to improve it. The immediate issue right now, however, is what to do about cabinet appointments. We would like to call on the GNP and Cheong Wa Dae to regain rational and reasonable thinking. The GNP needs to recognize that under the country's presidential system, the authority to appoint members of cabinet rests with the president. If there are problems with the way his cabinet members perform their duties, the opposition can always submit "dismissal recommendation bills" to the National Assembly.
Even more important will be the president's course of action. You can understand if he feels the hearings' findings are unfair and unreasonable. However, completely ignoring the opposition's calls for nominations to be withdrawn is not an effective way for him to assert his authority. He needs to be flexible enough to separate what is reasonable about the opposition's position from what is not. Contributing to a tradition where the president honors views from the National Assembly would contribute to a more elevated political culture in Korea.
The Hankyoreh, 10 February 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
