Proving size doesn’t matter

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Proving size doesn’t matter

Grand National Party legislator Park Geun-hye opposed bringing the controversial media bill to the floor ex officio. The GNP governs with 169 of the 295 seats of the National Assembly - a huge majority - yet this crisis has shown again that the party lacks the capacity to deal with major policy measures despite its huge size. It is not fit to be the ruling party.

It has conducted in-depth discussions on the reshuffle of state administration since a disastrous defeat in by-elections last April. We have emphasized several times that the basis of the shake-up is the compromise between President Lee Myung-bak and Park. However, Lee and his companions have buried their heads in the sand and passed the matter over unnoticed. During the so-called legislation war at the end of last year, Park said, “The bills presented by the GNP for the public good will cause people despair and pain.” Since then, the GNP mainstream has lost the momentum for passing the bills and been forced to change the direction of its negotiations with the opposition parties.

However, the mainstream has not made any noticeable effort. It thought that every member would follow its lead under the flag of the party platform. There is nothing wrong with the mainstream’s logic. Nevertheless, as a result, it failed to persuade the non-mainstream, as well as the opposition, to agree on its view.

Consequently, a “Grand National Party platform” no longer exists, and the party faces the risk of failure to resolve it with a majority vote at the National Assembly due to the non-mainstream’s disagreement.

Park’s attitude seems to lack responsibility and accountability as well. She looked on with folded arms while mainstream lawmakers soaked in sweat wrestled with the opposition. She did not assume any responsible attitude considering her influential position in the party.

The question as to whether her alternative to the media law is right or wrong is a totally different matter. It is the right course of action to clarify her views in the process of forming the policy of the party as a member of the party, if she finds any problem in the policies of the mainstream.

While several general meetings of lawmakers have been held, what did she do?

As a fundamental resolution for the conflict between Lee and Park has never been addressed, explosives erupt in any critical crisis.

The government is burdened with several reform bills, such as the non-regular workers law, assembly and demonstration law and the law on allowing the government to tap cell phone conversations, beyond the media law.

In such a state of disruption, the Grand Nationals, despite their sizable majority, wouldn’t be able to handle national affairs in an effective manner.
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