EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on May 8)

Factional Strife
Ruling Party Should Change to Regain Unity, Trust

The governing Grand National Party (GNP) is reeling from the aftermath of its
crushing defeat in the April 29 by-elections.

It must bear in mind that people
have turned their back on the ruling camp due to its incompetence, arrogance and
a set of policy blunders since the February 2008 inauguration of President Lee
Myung-bak.
What's more serious is that the GNP's leadership continues to show a lack of
responsibility for the current fiasco and no sense of crisis over the waning
public support. It is disappointing that the GNP has refused to humbly accept the
election results and reflect on what's wrong with it. Instead, it has just tried
to maintain the status quo, turning a deaf ear to mounting public calls for
change.
First, the majority party cannot restore public trust without ending a factional
strife between President Lee Myung-bak's loyalists and former GNP Chairwoman Park
Geun-hye's followers. The factional conflict culminated in the 2007 primary to
select the party's presidential candidate. The rivalry between the two leaders
seemed to die down when Lee was chosen to run for the presidency. Park was lauded
for promising to fully support Lee in the presidential campaign after her loss in
the primary.
But, the infighting has come to surface since the start of the Lee administration
which was blamed for excluding pro-Park figures in the lineup of the Cabinet and
the party leadership. It came to a head Thursday when Park turned down a proposal
to appoint her loyalist Rep. Kim Moo-sung as the floor leader of the party. The
proposal was agreed between President Lee and GNP Chairman Park Hee-tae a day
earlier in a bid to settle the factional dispute and promote unity of the party.
Park's rejection has added fuel to the internal struggle. Why did she refuse to
accept the offer? It seems that she has become angry at the proposal because it
was seen as a sugarcoated measure to placate her disgruntled minority faction.
Actually, she does not want to be on good terms with the mainstream Lee faction
until the President takes sincere action to restore trust in her. In this
situation, no one can expect the party to change without fixing this problem.
President Lee has been long on words about better communication with the people
to reflect their different opinions in the management of state affairs since last
summer's candlelit rallies against American beef imports. However, he has
neglected maintaining a two-way communication channel with the GNP, let alone
with the people. Even some young, reform-minded party members have criticized Lee
and his inner circle for the heavy-handed and unilateral policymaking process.
It is urgent for a reshuffle of the party leadership held responsible for the
election loss. Then, the GNP should establish a democratic decision-making
structure to play the game, heal internal wounds, and regain public support.
Other by-elections are scheduled for October, while local elections are due in
June next year and general elections in 2012. If it fails to get out of its
current crisis sooner or later, the party may lose its majority status.
(END)