[EDITORIALS]Political armageddon

Is true politics alive in this country? It does not seem so, looking at the recent tyrannies of the political community. For more than 20 days, this country has been forced to witness a relentless war centered on draft-dodging accusations between the two biggest political parties.

After a Millennium Democrat legislator, Lee Hae-chan, hinted that the allegations of draft-dodging against the son of the Grand National Party presidential candidate was a "carefully plotted political maneuvering," the fight between the two is growing more and more like two trains running head-on toward each other.

Hundreds of GNP members, including 90 lawmakers, stormed the prosecutors office in Seoul and the Blue House, demanding the resignation of the presidential chief of staff and the minister of justice. This is now an all-out war. Though their indignation is understandable this is no way for the party holding the majority of seats in the National Assembly to act.

The Millennium Democratic Party has decided to push ahead with their plan to collect 10 million signatures on a petition demanding the prosecutors investigate the allegations. All we need now is for real blood to be shed.

The behavior the legislators showed at the National Assembly session a few days ago was the typical gross negligence for the public's welfare. What was supposed to be a gathering to discuss the relief measures for the flood stricken areas turned into a partisan battle over (what else) the draft-dodging allegations. The accusation that one MDP lawmaker tossed at the instigations of his party bosses at Lee Hoi-chang over how he acquired his home turned out to be false, showing how low these politicians will go.

This might seem like a fight over draft dodging but the real issue is the presidential election. The pressure to win has taken over politicians again. This has made those who should be our leaders seem less than worthy of their jobs in their desperate and often foul attempts to gain ground in the election war. Telling those who think losing means the end of the world about the virtues of conversation and compromise is like reading the bible to a cow.

No one will win the support of the people judging by the way they are acting. Regain your calm, take care of the people's needs and do the right thing. Such simple truth will lead to victory.