President Roh Moo-hyun said Thursday that he is willing to defect from the ruling Uri Party if such a move would be helpful to his campaign to revise the Constitution to change the nation's presidential system to the U.S. model of two consecutive four-year tenures.
The president said in a nationally televised news conference that he will do his best to implement the constitutional change, but will not consider cutting short his tenure which is to expire in February 2008.
Roh also said the National Assembly's approval or rejection of his planned motion for constitutional revision should not be viewed as a vote of confidence or no confidence in him.
He then strongly criticized the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) for objecting his proposal for constitutional change.
"What is clear is that the GNP is suppressing democracy by refusing to hold dialogue with me. Just a few years ago, many GNP lawmakers supported the changing of the presidential system. The opponents of the constitutional revision are all politically motivated," said the president.
He then made clear that his concentration on the constitutional campaign would not affect his administration's policy regarding the North Korean nuclear problem, free trade talks with the U.S., a crackdown on real estate speculation and other important pending issues.
"Opponents of the constitutional change could lose their political ground and change their position in the face of unfavorable public opinions. The GNP has nothing to lose in talks over constitutional change," Roh said, urging the opposition party's presidential candidates to more clearly express their positions.
"Following the constitutional revision, the next presidents will be able to conduct the presidency in a more stable manner.
Thus I'm willing to meet with presidential candidates from ruling and opposition parties for discussions on the important national agenda."
In a televised address on Tuesday, Roh proposed that the country adopt a presidential system that allows a chance for reelection and cuts the term of office to four years from five.
The amendment needs a revision of the Constitution.
A motion for constitutional revision can be proposed by the president or over half of the Assembly lawmakers and should be supported by more than two-thirds of the Assembly lawmakers before being put to a national referendum.
The GNP holds the key, as its parliamentary seats far exceed a third of the Assembly's quorum. The main opposition party controls 127 of the unicameral Assembly's current 296 seats, compared with the ruling Uri Party's 139 seats. In South Korea, a constitutional amendment enacted in 1987 to prevent extended rule by authoritarian military governments bars the president from seeking a second term.
If Roh defects from the party, it would be the second such move during his presidency following his departure from the Democratic Party months after he took office in February 2003. After Roh took that step, Roh entered the Uri Party that was formed shortly before then by reformist ex-members of the Democratic Party and outsiders.
Seoul, Jan. 11 (Yonhap News)
Roh expresses will to defect from ruling party for constitutional revision |
