[EDITORIALS]Pledging to keep promises

The governing Uri Party officially announced it would join the “Election Manifesto” movement, which scrutinizes election pledges. The Grand National Party will also participate by recommending all candidates make election pledges based on the standards suggested by the movement.
The People First Party and other parties are also embracing the manifesto movement. Even the National Election Commission supports it.
It is truly good to see each party announce plans to work for an election campaign based on pledges at a time when regionalism and dominance by major parties still has a negative influence on election campaigns.
We do not know how sincere each party is about this new direction. They might simply be jumping on the bandwagon. However, we believe that the movement itself will become a force to restrain and check Korean politics. Ultimately, it could be a great foundation for developing our nation’s local administrative framework.
The manifesto will be a contract between the candidates and the voters giving detailed election promises. It is not a listing of infeasible empty promises or abstract rhetoric. A policy priority, ways to raise funds, and the time the promises will be realized should be given with detailed numbers. Academics and civic groups should examine the pledges before the election and check specific schedules of policies afterwards. Empty promises will be punished in the next election.
We hope the movement will expand to the 2007 presidential election and the 2008 elections for the National Assembly. What will be the scores of the current president and representatives? The government also should assist candidates in coming up with feasible pledges.