[Editorial] President Roh's Inappropriate Interference

The ruling Uri Party has respectfully refused president Roh Moo Hyun's encouragement to "accommodate the Grand National Party's demands" by saying that while it "understands and respects the president's deep thinking and desire for the politics of inclusion," it nevertheless cannot accept his advice because "the GNP's demand about revising the Private School Law is an attempt to make it as good as nonexistent." It is almost without precedent to have the party that backs the president in running the government to openly reject one of his demands. It does not look good, whatever the reason. Subsequently many people expect the discord between the ruling party and Cheong Wa Dae will grow deeper, or that the president is going to be a lame duck earlier than had been expected. You even hear him called "the president who has no influence with the ruling party."

However, we do not consider this entirely negative, because the era in which the ruling party has to do whatever the president says is over. In some ways this is actually progress, because it means the entities participating in the political process have formed organic and independent relationships.

Nevertheless, we need to mention the problem with president Roh's thinking when he told the ruling party to compromise on the Private School Law. Does not primary responsibility for the disruption at the National Assembly lie with the GNP for sabotaging parliamentary activities while it demands the law be revised again? The follow-up legislation on stabilizing real estate prices may be imperative, but you cannot solve the problem with a style of mediation that gives a child a piece of rice cake because he's whining.

The "open trustee board" stipulated by the Private School Law in its current state is the minimum of what is needed to prevent the corruption that is a chronic problem at private schools, and it is supported by the majority of the country. Preventing legislative activity in order to have the law revised again so that it is made toothless is tyranny by a minority. The GNP should make the first move by not linking its revision proposal to everything else that needs to be done. The bills waiting for attention that relate to the people's welfare should be voted on even if it means having to call another Assembly session, at which point there can be negotiations on the question of revising the Private School Law again.

The Hankyoreh, 1 May 2006.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]