[Editorial] Opposition parties must truly cooperate for April’s election

Posted on : 2012-03-20 14:13 KST Modified on : 2012-03-20 14:13 KST

Opposition parties have come together ahead of April’s general election to challenge the ruling party with a unified, progressive opposition. The contest to pick opposition candidates for the Apr. 11 general elections is essentially over. Unless the opposition can put aside party loyalty and support all selected candidates, the election alliance will not succeed.
The Democratic United Party (DUP) won for 57 districts and the Unified Progressive Party (UPP) for eleven, while the New Progressive Party produced a candidate in one. On the whole, it looks like a big leap forward from the UPP. In Seoul‘s Gwanak-B district, an area of particular interest, the party’s chairwoman Lee Jung-hee beat out DUP lawmaker Kim Hee-chull, and most of the party’s star figures came out victorious, including joint spokesmen Roh Hoe-chan and Cheon Ho-seon.
This outcome signifies a strong desire among many opposition voters for progress and reforms, one that has not been fulfilled by the DUP. Other possible factors in the UPP’s strong showing were the presence of star figures and the active participation by voters, especially younger ones, in the contest and opinion polls. A major focus now for election-watchers is the question of whether the UPP will be successful in realizing its longstanding dream of establishing a negotiation group on the floor of the National Assembly.
With the pre-election maneuvering over, the elections have shaped up into a true one-on-one contest between the ruling and opposition parties. Recent opinion polls show the DUP trailing the ruling New Frontier Party (NFP) after a drop-off in its once-high support ratings, but the opposition parties are in a generally tight race with the NFP when their support totals are taken together. This hard-won solidarity, which followed a tumultuous path, reflects the strong hope among voters that the opposition parties will join forces in putting the Lee Myung-bak administration on trial. The question now is how appealing an alternative for an opposition-driven future this will be for voters who are disappointed with the ruling party. There needs to be more than a simple “putting the administration on trial” campaign. Anything less than policies that strike home with the South Korean public and a blueprint for the future will make this opposition candidate consolidation much ado about nothing.
Another question is whether the opposition can join forces to execute a cooperative election campaign. Many times in the past, the losing side in the candidate contest has been passive or uninterested in campaigning. Already, signs of the consolidation hangover are in evidence. Following his loss to Lee Jung-hee, Kim Hee-chull said he did not yield to the outcome and was considering legal action or running as an independent. This is not just unconvincing but petty, and an utter repudiation of the spirit of opposition solidarity. A proper politician would accept the outcome graciously and dedicate himself to helping the victor’s campaign as if it were his own. We hope no one forgets that this election is not just a matter of the victory or defeat of individual candidates, but a major crossroads that will determine the course of South Korea’s history.
 
Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

Most viewed articles