It is a disgrace and shame for National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae to step down over a bribe scandal during a 2008 leadership election of the ruling party. On Thursday, he resigned amid a widening investigation into allegations that he offered cash to fellow lawmakers to buy votes for the top party post.
Rep. Park has become the first legislative chief to quit due to such a vote-buying scandal. He tainted the image of his party and the National Assembly. More seriously, he plunged the nation’s already-shaky parliamentary democracy deeper into the abyss.
His resignation came five weeks after Rep. Koh Seung-duk of the governing Saenuri Party disclosed that he had received envelopes containing 3 million won ($2,680) from Park’s campaign office right before the election. But Koh returned the money to the office immediately. It is still unknown how deeply Park was involved in the case.
It is apparent that Park has tried to buy time to deflect public criticism and avoid responsibility for his alleged implication in the scandal. Finally, he decided to resign as his former aide confessed to prosecutors that he got back the money from Rep. Koh and then reported it to Kim Hyo-jae, then campaign director and now senior presidential secretary.
Disappointingly, Park still remains mum on whether he knew of the bribery from the start or what role, if any, he played. He only let his spokesman read his statement announcing his resignation. He promised to take all the responsibility. However, he still refuses to admit his reported involvement in the case. He seems to lack the courage to reveal the truth.
The scandal is a part of widespread corruption in politics and officialdom. It has been common practice to buy party positions and nominations for candidacy in elections. Regrettably, plutocracy has become the norm at the expense of representative democracy. Once elected, not a few lawmakers accept bribes from businesses to finance costly money politics.
It is also necessary to see the scandal in the context of cronyism. Park is one of President Lee Myung-bak’s six closest confidants. There is speculation that the inner circle of power might have played a certain role to install Park as the party chief. If that is true, the Lee administration cannot deflect criticism for abusing its power, not to mention vote buying. President Lee has come under fire for committing all policy blunders by appointing only his henchmen as ministers and party leaders.
It is imperative that the nation should terminate corruption and plutocracy. It can no longer delay political reform to restore true democracy free of self-destructive partisan struggles, bribery and other wrongdoings. Both governing and opposition parties should purge all corrupt lawmakers and politicians ahead of the upcoming April general elections. Otherwise, the nation will have no future.