[EDITORIALS]Impeachment can’t be reversed

Some Grand National Party representatives, including Kim Moon-soo, have urged the party to withdraw the impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun. It’s unbelievable that they’re doing so. This two-faced behavior is most unbecoming to a representative.
This also applies to the Millennium Democrats who are showing similar signs of waffling, even though they participated in the National Assembly’s decision to impeach the president.
When the Grand Nationals and the Millennium Democrats pushed the impeachment motion at the Assembly, polls showed that the number of people against impeachment were slightly more than those who were for it. It was no surprise that the anti-impeachment ranks grew after its passage, bolstered by the angry reaction of Roh supporters and the sympathy of unsettled voters.
Now that public opinion has turned firmly against impeachment, some opposition lawmakers are exhibiting opportunistic behavior.
Parliamentary democracy is based on responsible politics. Political parties and politicians collect people’s opinions on national issues, both big and small, coordinate conflicting interests, make decisions and take the responsibilities for those decisions.
If they judged that the impeachment was necessary and approved it, they must wait for the decision of the Constitutional Court. It is unthinkable that they withdraw their decision just because they’re looking for more votes in the elections. Moreover, there is no legal provision for the withdrawal of the impeachment motion.
Elections are won or lost. That is democracy. And public opinion changes constantly. Will politicians shift their positions according to public opinion, in an effort to collect more votes?
Instead, they should consolidate their political platform and identity, determined to seek people’s mandate in the next election, even if they lose this one.
How many voters will change their minds even if the opposition pleads for withdrawing the impeachment? On the contrary, their supporters, disappointed at their lack of principle, will only refuse to go to polling stations. The politicians should not disappoint the people.