[EDITORIALS]A chance for redemption

On Monday, the Uri Party will start a two-day workshop for its legislators and core members. While the party has said that the workshop will focus on evaluating the first year of the 17th National Assembly session, it will also discuss the causes of its crushing defeat in the April 30 by-elections and the party’s future direction. The workshop had originally been planned only for legislators as part of the preparation for the extraordinary Assembly session in June. However, in consideration of the dire political situation that the party finds itself in, it was soon expanded.
It is our hope that the workshop will be a stepping stone for the Uri Party to transform itself into a responsible governing party. Until now, the Uri Party’s main problem is that it has not acted properly as the governing party. The Uri Party itself concluded that it was the reason why the governing party was routed in the April 30 by-elections. However, even a month since the re-elections, the Uri Party has not shown any sign of change. The role of the governing party has long remained obsolete in politics and in policymaking. The party has given the impression that it is being bullied around by the opposition and civic groups. The only reaction that the party has shown to the recent scandal involving failed investments in financially risky development projects has been to issue a bland statement calling for those responsible to be disciplined.
The party did not show any effort in resolving the problem or take measures to prevent similar cases from happening. Should the Blue House be taken down by these two scandals, it would be the Uri Party’s role to take over the national administration.
The overall management of the party also has many problems. The newly elected party leadership has yet to present a proper vision for the party a month after its election. While the leadership flounders, the party has divided into two groups at odds over how much the party should change. The two groups blame each other for the party’s slump, making it more difficult for the party to assume its responsibility. The Uri Party’s confidence that any candidate it puts forwards will win the next presidential election shows just how arrogant it has become. The governing party’s incompetence and internal confusion does not end in itself but becomes the public’s burden. We urge the Uri Party to use this workshop as an opportunity to analyze its problems and return to being a governing party that does its duty.