(EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on July 27)

Opposition party's ways
: Democrats ought to clarify identity, offer viable alternatives

After the railroading of controversial media bills amid yet another parliamentary
brawl, rival political parties are going their respective ways.
It's hypocritical for the governing Grand National Party to abruptly pose itself
as the guardian of poor people, after so frantically pushing only for the passage
of bills that have little to do with the livelihood of the masses. Before long,
President Lee Myung-bak will replace his aides and Cabinet ministers to divert
voters' attention away from his party's shameful act.
Shallow as these tactics are, they will succeed, provided the lawmakers of the
main opposition Democratic Party make good on their threat to resign en masse,
deserting the Assembly and returning to their signature street-level politics.
The DP is right to try to nullify the so-called media reform law, as the
governing party neglected the opinion of the majority of voters, as well as
proper parliamentary procedure to open ways for big businesses and the right-wing
print media to run broadcasting stations.
Critics of the opposition party, including some Western journalists in Seoul, say
the DP should discontinue referring to democratically-elected President Lee
Myung-bak as a dictator, and abide by the principle of decision by majority.
Which should come first, however ??? the sovereignty of the people or a majority
principle? Should governments be allowed to do anything in defiance of the
people's wishes simply because they were elected democratically? Adolf Hitler,
for example, was elected by absolute majority, too.
Of course the media bills are not of such paramount importance, which makes it
all the harder to understand why the governing camp clings to its legislation so
desperately.
Yet, the largest opposition party will be grossly mistaken to throw its full
weight behind only the media bill struggle, much less adopting the unrealistic
tactic of mass resignation. Firstly, they wouldn't be able to resign, as they
were not appointed officials but elected by voters. More important, the people
want more than ideological collisions from their politicians, namely better
economic and social benefits to ensure a better, more secure life.
Without policy alternatives on real-life issues, DP will be giving the impression
that they are opposing for the sake of opposition. The only peaceful, democratic
way to reverse the laws and policies of rivals is to take over power through
elections, which are won not by just democratic slogans but by the proposal of
better socioeconomic systems.
The DP needs to meet at least two prerequisites to be reborn as a party of
policy, not politics. First of all, its leadership should be ready to abandon its
vested interests and attempt to attain a non-GNP alliance, embracing one-time
deserters, particularly the so-called pro-Roh Moo-hyun group.
Secondly, the main opposition party must be able to clarify its political
identity, specifying how exactly it is different from GNP ??? in policy ??? a
differentiation that more than a few voters would be hard pressed to make. This
task will prove all the more difficult if the party becomes a larger entity
composed of more various elements.
Given the enormous tasks ahead of the DP, this is no time for party legislators
to threaten to quit but time to double, or even triple, the role they are
currently playing.
(END)