[EDITORIALS]R.I.P. Uri

The Uri Party has started to raise the flag of a new party. Yesterday, possible presidential candidates and party heavyweights Kim Geun-tae and Chung Dong-young announced in a joint statement their intention to create a new party.
Before that, during the National Assembly’s regular session, the Uri Party floor leader, Kim Han-gill, announced the end of the party, and now they are in an active stage of dismantling it. There are still diehard party members who want to keep it alive, but at a recent party workshop the whole party agreed to unite with other political elements in February; for 80 percent of the Uri Party members, creating a new grouping was called the only way left. It’s likely that under the current circumstances, despite opposition and turmoil, a new party will become a reality.
For the party, whose support is now in the 10-percent range, a new party is probably the only way to survive. The party has realized that for next year’s presidential election and the April elections in 2008, creating a new party is the only way to stay alive.
Since it’s a political choice by a political power, we do not oppose a new party. Nevertheless, we have to point out why a party that cried at its creation that it would be a political innovation has ended up like this. We also ask what historical meaning this new party will have, when it is created with the remnants of this failed party.
The new party has to resolve some moral issues. The founders of Uri abandoned the party that catapulted the president into his position and established their own political group. With luck, these forces succeeded in grabbing a majority in the National Assembly. Nevertheless, their egos eventually led to a lot of wasted time.
Since the local elections in May, what once looked like a strong and rich house turned into one in danger of bankruptcy. With support dwindling, everybody is blaming each other and picking fights. Now they are abandoning a powerless president and striving to establish a new home.
Those politicians who want to establish a new party said in their joint statement that the new group will become one that is working for the people and guided by principles. Regardless of the political smokescreens, those who only have 10 percent support have no right to talk about “the people.” The new party has to reflect sincerely on its past and approach the voters with modesty. Throw away remarks based on populism and start with whatever little you have.