Kim Jong-pil`s endless love of parliamentary cabinet system

Former South Korean Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil`s enthusiasm for the parliamentary cabinet system did not abate even at the funeral of his wife. When Ahn Chul-soo, a lawmaker of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), told him that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was enjoying over 70 percent approval ratings in opinion polls even 10 years after she was sworn in, Kim responded by saying, "That is why we should go for the parliamentary cabinet system." NPAD chairman Moon Jae-in offered condolences to Kim earlier, the former prime minister stressed that the parliamentary cabinet system would ensure policy continuity. "If implemented well, the system will enable the government to maintain policies for 17 years," he argued.

When former President Lee Myung-bak offered his condolences on Sunday, Kim said, "I ruined my political career by calling for the parliamentary cabinet system. Still, it is a better (system)." He also asked Lee, "What can a president achieve during a single, five-year term?" In 2010, the third year in office, the former president called for a parliamentary discussion of a constitutional revision, only to receive no repercussions. Lee, who recalled his short five-year term in office in the recent memoir, probably had mixed feelings about the issue while listening to Kim`s arguments.

Kim, who served various top leaders as a long-time No. 2 man in power, was critical of the presidential system. "Actually, the presidential system is about irresponsibility," he claimed. "Whether a president did a good job or not, he or she bows out (when the term ends)." When he said "not a chance" to many lawmakers "having presidential dreams," the political veteran seemed to target presidential wannabes who visited the funeral site.

In the second year of the Kim Dae-jung presidency, in which Kim Jong-pil formed a coalition government with the president, the latter accepted the president`s offer to postpone seeking a constitutional revision for the parliamentary cabinet system. Although Kim Jong-pil explained that he accepted the offer to protect the coalition government, he came under heavy fire from advocates of the system who denounced him for having made a political deal to maintain his power. He has made many convincing cases for the parliamentary cabinet system. However, he should also see why the public is reluctant to accept the system and why the issue is hotly debated only among politicians.