The bill that would create an "administrative city" instead of an "administrative capital" was halted in the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on Monday, because GNP members on the committee opposed it, saying it is a bill that will essentially move the country's political capital. One cannot understand how the bill was passed in the respective party caucuses of the ruling Uri Party and the opposition GNP only to have wasteful controversy when the bill got to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
The GNP held its own internal vote on the bill and agreed to support it only after intense debate. Granted, it passed at the party caucus by a small number of votes, but having been passed it became official party policy. What becomes of decisions made in party caucus if the bill gets blocked at committee by members of the same party who oppose it? Those committee members are unqualified to do democracy, since democracy respects the principle of rule by majority, if they go against their party's majority just because they opposed the bill in question.
Individual members of the National Assembly, being entrusted by the constitution to do so, may express their own views even when they are inconsistent with the official position of their respective parties. They should oppose anything they find problematic even if it means going against their parties. Even when they do go their own way, however, they should do so through the pre-determined legal process. They should argue their positions in committee, and then just vote on the bill if that is what it comes to. It is not right to delay the process by not moving forward in such a way, by repeating debates that have taken place more than once before. These committee members are saying they should wait until April and listen to what the public has to say until then, but there has already been ample discussion.
The GNP's leadership needs to make itself clear. If something decided as party policy, after much difficulty, gets quieted by an opposing faction within the party, who will turn to the GNP and trust it as the main opposition party, anyway? One hopes to see the GNP stop sounding like a broken record and stop running in place. It should move forward, finishing up everything it starts along the way.
The Hankyoreh, 2 March 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] GNP Has No Official Position? |
