Start with cooperation

President Roh Moo-hyun warns that he will veto President-elect Lee Myung-bak’s bill for restructuring the government. How can this problem be solved? We urged that the outgoing president help the incoming president for the greater good, but President Roh hasn’t changed his stance at all.
The United New Democratic Party is unhappy with President Roh’s stance but neither is it going to yield to the president-elect. The president-elect defensively says that if the bill is not passed by the National Assembly or if it is vetoed by the president, he will work only with directors without ministers. Some worry that if roadblocks persist the bill will be passed in the next session of the National Assembly, which will open after the April general elections for the National Assembly.
If a bill that the president vetoes is to be passed by the National Assembly, more than half of the lawmakers must attend to vote and more than two-thirds of the attending members must approve the bill.
Conflicts are being created but the ruling and the opposition parties have started to negotiate over the bill.
Both parties can be reasonable and pass the bill with two-third approval of the members.
The bill to restructure the government is a puzzle for both the outgoing power and the incoming power.
It is not good for the beginning of a new administration if the ruling and opposition parties compete fiercely for votes, if the president is stubborn and vetoes the bill or if the new president starts the new administration without ministers. The president-elect and the Grand National Party must stop thinking that only they are right and virtuous. They must listen to opinions of opponents and accept some of them if they are good.
The UNDP must help the new administration which is motivated to reform the government. If the party opposes the bill to an extent that the people can’t understand, the party will have a disadvantage in the legislative elections.
The ruling and the opposition parties must display delicate negotiation skills and adopt the new plan for the government with two thirds of the vote or even more. That will send a meaningful message to the incumbent president who is not sorry for inefficient expansion of the government and the number of civil servants. The new era must start with compromises and cooperation, instead of confrontation and a veto.