As expected, the meeting at Cheong Wa Dae between president Roh Moo Hyun and Grand National Party (GNP) chairwoman Park Geun Hye ended with their sharp differences remaining the same. If you want to find any significance in what happened you might say they were able to speak their minds to each other. But we do think the meeting was an opportunity to bring important issues to a sure end.
Roh's calls for a coalition government were what was the focus of the most attention, Park issued a clear rejection. She even said the "platforms of the two parties are too different" and that the "GNP doesn't want that kind of power." If the chairwoman of the party the president singled out as a coalition partner directly made it that clear, then it is time he wrap it up for good.
The same goes for the idea about a supra-partisan cabinet for the economy and welfare of the people. Fundamentally it is the responsibility of the government and ruling party to look after the popular economy. It's not as if the economy is doing poorly because a government of national unity hasn't been formed. If legislation is needed that relates to the economy then the president can seek the cooperation of the main opposition party at points where the occasion requires it; you wonder whether there exists the need to form such a government just for that purpose. And given the GNP's attitude regarding various items on the economic agenda it is even possible that the key economic policies being pursued by the current government, like its real estate policy for example, could be turned back.
There are aspects of Roh's proposal about a supra-partisan cabinet for the people's economic welfare that are a skillful fusion of Park's demands that he look after the people's economic welfare and the coalition government he has been pursuing. The very idea of a government of national unity is in and of itself problematic and Park has clearly rejected the idea, so one would hope Roh would stop hanging on to the issue.
Park rightly should be criticized for failing to produce any alternative ideas on how to correct the country's regionalism-based politics. Regionalism is not something the president should be risking a coalition government for, but it's also not by any means something you can remain indifferent about either. In that sense Park's view that "regional sentiments are easing off" is as irresponsible as can be.
The Hankyoreh, 7 September 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Enough About 'Coalition Government' |
