On Tuesday President Roh Moo Hyun proposed to the National Assembly, the academic community, and the press that there be discussion of an alternative and productive apparatus that includes the possibility of a coalition government. Looking at Cheong Wa Dae's homepage you can see the reasons behind that proposal and Roh's thinking about the current political situation. "State affairs cannot run smoothly when the ruling party is the minority and the opposition constitutes the majority. It can't be productive when the government and the National Assembly or the ruling and opposition parties collide."
This is not, however, the time to be talking about a coalition government. To begin with, it would be unrealistic. A coalition is an arrangement between parties so it would be possible. However, the Democratic Labor (DLP) and the Millennium Democratic (MDP) parties have made it clear they are not interested. There is no reason to start debate about something that will not be happening. Then there is the problem of how discussion about a coalition government would lead to discussion about revising the constitution, and that could turn Roh into a lame duck. The confusion for affairs of state would be serious if the president became a lame duck with two and a half years left in his term. Finally, the economy and the North Korean nuclear issue are serious problems. The Bank of Korea (BOK) has lowered its growth predictions for the year to 3.8 percent, and it is very likely that whether or not there is going to be another round of six-party talks will soon be determined.
The alternative would be for the ruling Uri Party to find areas for cooperation based on each individual area of legislation. The president says he has absolutely no leverage over the ruling party that would allow him to exercise leadership there, but Uri generally supports his polities. Uri recently decided to accommodate the DLP's demands for revision of the Law on Government Organization and kept the Grand National Party's (GNP) bill to recommend dismissal of the defense minister from being passed. There are other issues on which it could find compromise with the GNP or the MDP.
It has not been because the ruling party is in the minority that affairs of state have failed to run smoothly. Nothing much went right when the ruling party owned a majority of seats in the National Assembly, either. It only raises lots of questions to have sudden talk about a coalition when the objective conditions are not in place.
The Hankyoreh, 6 July 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Not Time To Talk About Coalition Government |
