[EDITORIALS]Chaos descends on MDP

The Millennium Democratic Party is in turmoil due to Han Hwa-gap's public notice of the formation of a new political party. His idea is to organize a new political party after the Aug. 8 elections, following his and Roh Moo-hyun's resignation from the party. Mr. Roh's supporters who oppose his resignation are responding with a proposal to reorganize the party as "Roh Moo-hyun Party." Troubles seem to be boiling between Mr. Roh and Mr. Han. This reminds us of the vicissitudes in the alignment of political parties during past election years.

The movements taking place within the MDP are the last resort, following the humiliating defeat in the June 13 election and the drop in Mr. Roh's approval rating. The solutions that the non-mainstream group have come up with are to select alternate candidates or the formation of a new political party. Mr. Roh's supporters have stood against this suggestion, repeatedly promising his re-election, and insisting that the party's image and organization be directed toward Mr. Roh. But this act contradicts what the MDP has been backing with pride all along －－ the people's primary.

It appears the "grand choice of Gwangju" and the "revolutionary reform of Korean politics" are fading away.

The presidential election is the arena of analyzing the current government's merits and demerits, and is the ground for evaluating the MDP and the Grand National Party. In that sense, the disorder within the MDP hurts the responsibility and stability of the party. Since no one is immune to the issues of corruption, it should be the underlying foundation for the party's presidential election strategy to explicitly show the will to dig out and clear up corruption and to present a new vision that all can understand and accept. The irresponsible conduct of Mr. Roh's "post-DJ" party reformation or the non-mainstream group's "post-DJ + post-Roh" new party formation splits with the people by giving the impression of "whatever-ism."

The responsibilities for any resulting problem caused by constant faction change within a party completely lies on that party. However, this disruptive incoherence shown by the current ruling party －－ especially by those who have contributed to the unprecedented alteration of political power －－ with the presidential election near is reproachable.