With Uri deciding that it's not interested in a coalition the idea has essentially lost all real momentum. How can the president convince the main opposition party and the people that it's a good idea when ruling party members are opposing it? It hat hit a wall, even if you follow the logic provided by Roh himself. When he first proposed the idea he said it would involve "passing presidential power to the ruling party, then having the ruling party pass power on to the Grand National Party (GNP)," but Tuesday's study session made it clear that the majority of Uri's membership has no intention of handing over power to the GNP.
Even if he gives up on everyone else, Roh needs to listen to the members of the ruling party. He needs to ponder why it was there was an outpouring of complaints such as that "Uri isn't the president's private political party" and that there's "no knowing why he's going on like that all by his lonesome." The discord with the ruling party over policy objectives, the lack of communication between the party and Cheong Wa Dae, and the alienation felt by Uri's membership are issues he quickly needs to resolve. If he continues to talk as if he means to say "stop talking about other things and follow me" it is only a matter of time before the ruling party gets overtaken with extreme internal infighting. He needs to seriously realize that misfortune for the ruling party doesn't end with the ruling party, and becomes misfortune for the country.
The Hankyoreh, 31 August 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
