Saenuri leaders not eligible to urge public for ‘judge opposition’ in elections

Saenuri leaders not eligible to urge public for ‘judge opposition’ in elections. April. 12, 2016 07:16. by 허문명논설위원 angelhuh@donga.com.

Representatives of the headquarters of a campaign to collect 10 million signatures to help revive people’s livelihoods and Korea’s five major business organizations visited the three major ruling and opposition parties on Monday, two days ahead of the general elections. “The National Assembly had passed bills about a month before the end of its term during the 18th General Assembly as well,” representatives of the five business organizations said, while calling on the parties for immediate approval of bills on the service industry development and the labor reform. The campaign’s headquarters said the number of signees exceeded 1.81 million.

The ruling and opposition parties have made a flurry of pledges during the ongoing election campaign. The ruling Saenuri Party pledged to maintain economic growth rate at the 3 percent level and protect the self-employed, while the Minjoo Party of Korea vowed to create 700,000 jobs and increase household income, saying that it is the economy that matters. The election pledges by the rival parties sound glaring on the surface, but we have doubt about their sincerity. The 19th National Assembly was the worst ever parliament that posted an bill approval ratio of 40.2 percent and an average bill deliberation period of 517 days. It is deplorable that they display shamelessness by urging the public to vote for them even without giving any words of atonement.

According to the Korea Economic Research Institute, 82.4 percent of the 350 largest companies suffered losses due to delays in legislation of deregulation bills. It was none other than the 19th National Assembly that blocked conglomerates with asset of 5 trillion won (4.36 billion U.S. dollars) or more from growing by increasing more regulations on them than ever. Since conglomerates are now bound by 29 regulatory acts that were enacted by this parliament, companies cannot afford to make investment even in core businesses for the Fourth Industrial Revolution such as artificial intelligence robots as they please.

The 19th National Assembly often tried to link reciprocal passage of different bills and curb approval of bills on economic recovery and people’s livelihoods by exploiting the National Assembly Advancement Act throughout its term. The ruling party was also in a status of hopelessness since it failed to display political capacity in persuading the opposition parties and having reform bills approved. If the lawmakers of the 19th National Assembly have any hints of consciousness, it should pass the bills for reviving the economy including the service industry development act during its remaining team without fail. Using this as an opportunity, the National Assembly should also amend the National Assembly Advancement Act, which the 18th National Assembly had passed just about one month before the end of its term. Lawmakers who spearheaded the amendment of the act at the time claimed that this act would resolve shortcomings of a barbaric parliament in which ruling and opposition lawmakers had frequently resorted to confrontation and violence, but the 19th National Assembly has been the worst, most hopeless parliament ever in the nation’s history. Discarding the National Assembly Advancement Act that is no different from a "beast" at the earliest date is the only way the 19th National Assembly can win forgiveness from the public.