ID :
38830
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 09:31
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/38830
The shortlink copeid
(EDITORIAL from the JoongAng Daily on Jan. 5)
Empty gestures
Violence finally broke out at the National Assembly. Some 300 aides and officials
aligned with the opposition parties clashed with the security guards who
attempted to disperse their sit-ins at the National Assembly???s main chamber.
The authority of the country???s legislature was crushed by opposition lawmakers
and then trampled over by their aides.
While legislators in other countries join forces to fight economic hardship, ours
are busy brawling with one another.
The opposition???s act of violence has generated the current parliamentary impasse.
Differences should be ironed out through dialogue, but at the end of the day, the
opposition parties must accept the majority rule.
If order collapses at the National Assembly, it is up to the house speaker to
restore it.
National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyung-o on Dec. 29 warned that he will mobilize
security forces to restore order at the house if opposition parties do not end
their sit-in by midnight. Kim chose to give another chance for the ruling and
opposition sides to talk. But he has damaged his authority by failing to be true
to his words.
After the talks again failed, Kim ordered use of force on Saturday to throw
protesting opposition party members out of the Assembly building. But 150
security guards were a small match for the protestors who doubled their numbers.
The house speaker should have acted more positively and asked the police for help
as he had threatened to do.
What Kim showed was a gesture, not an act of will. He reiterated that he will
refrain from exercising his authority to put the bills to vote.
His dilemma is understandable. It is difficult to kick out legislators who have
the law???s protection. The ruling party should help, but apparently it chooses
not to.
Based on principles and legality, it is the house speaker???s duty to restore
order at the Assembly. The Democratic Party and Democratic Labor Party are
crushing the authority of the land.
Never have aides and secretaries joined together to deliberately damage the image
of the National Assembly.
What the opposition parties are doing is merely denying their election failures.
Leaders of the Democratic Party late last year agreed with the president to
become political partners, but they instead turned into destroyers. It???s not
too late for them to make amends.
(END)
Violence finally broke out at the National Assembly. Some 300 aides and officials
aligned with the opposition parties clashed with the security guards who
attempted to disperse their sit-ins at the National Assembly???s main chamber.
The authority of the country???s legislature was crushed by opposition lawmakers
and then trampled over by their aides.
While legislators in other countries join forces to fight economic hardship, ours
are busy brawling with one another.
The opposition???s act of violence has generated the current parliamentary impasse.
Differences should be ironed out through dialogue, but at the end of the day, the
opposition parties must accept the majority rule.
If order collapses at the National Assembly, it is up to the house speaker to
restore it.
National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyung-o on Dec. 29 warned that he will mobilize
security forces to restore order at the house if opposition parties do not end
their sit-in by midnight. Kim chose to give another chance for the ruling and
opposition sides to talk. But he has damaged his authority by failing to be true
to his words.
After the talks again failed, Kim ordered use of force on Saturday to throw
protesting opposition party members out of the Assembly building. But 150
security guards were a small match for the protestors who doubled their numbers.
The house speaker should have acted more positively and asked the police for help
as he had threatened to do.
What Kim showed was a gesture, not an act of will. He reiterated that he will
refrain from exercising his authority to put the bills to vote.
His dilemma is understandable. It is difficult to kick out legislators who have
the law???s protection. The ruling party should help, but apparently it chooses
not to.
Based on principles and legality, it is the house speaker???s duty to restore
order at the Assembly. The Democratic Party and Democratic Labor Party are
crushing the authority of the land.
Never have aides and secretaries joined together to deliberately damage the image
of the National Assembly.
What the opposition parties are doing is merely denying their election failures.
Leaders of the Democratic Party late last year agreed with the president to
become political partners, but they instead turned into destroyers. It???s not
too late for them to make amends.
(END)
