Ahn must be frank, clear in elucidating suspicions
Independent presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo has just entered a process anyone running for key public post should undergo: personal verification.
The result of the first round of the test was rather disappointing for supporters of the former software mogul and philanthropist: Ahn’s wife, and the candidate himself, as discovered later, are suspected of underreporting the contract values of their property dealings to avoid paying taxes.
In 2000 when the transactions were made, the “down contract” was not illegal but commonly practiced by home buyers.
But Ahn wasted no time apologizing to the people. “I could give you several reasons, but those were not right things to do in anyway,” he said. “From now on, I will live by a stricter standard and criterion.” Ahn was right to make an immediate apology, especially because his political appeal is based on two merits ― high ethical standards and working for the public good.
In the book, “Thoughts of Ahn Cheol-soo,” he noted that failure to discharge one’s duty of practicing public goods should also be considered within the broad definition of corruption, while calling for the stern punishment of tax dodgers as a warning to others. It seems as if the former college dean was predicting a situation he would later experience. Still the ability to make swift, correct judgments is one of the essential qualities of a leader.
It’s regrettable that we can hardly say the same thing about his explanations. Ahn’s mention of “several reasons” insinuates that most Koreans used the tax-saving trick, and he was just one of many such ordinary people, more than a decade ago. His aides also hinted that behind media reports are the ruling Saenuri Party’s campaign workers who had the help of state intelligence agencies, because the information on personal contracts cannot be known except to those who made them.
But an apology should always be heartfelt, and explanations, frank and clear. Ahn’s attitude at the news conference Thursday was hardly so, including his rejection of questions from reporters. The philanthropist, who has distributed computer vaccines free of charge and donated half of his assets to a public foundation, might have questioned the corrupt conservative party’s qualification to take issue with his integrity. But anything is possible in politics, especially election politics, and any show of Ahn’s displeasure or curtness would anger voters, and please his adversaries.
A sincere attitude is especially important, because he should undergo numerous challenges, starting with the ongoing parliamentary inspection, from rivals who want to find and publicize any gap between what Ahn has said and done, not only in the course of asset accumulation but also in terms of his relationships with some large businesses, including family-controlled conglomerates, which the former venture businessman has criticized as suffocating smaller firms, and has vowed to reform.
Whether or not his attackers are more corrupt than him, and whether or not what they say is true, Ahn must leave it all up to voters’ judgment, and do his best to make sincere, detailed explanations. If he does his job properly, such attacks will backfire.
Elections are full of plots and schemes. The anti-establishment candidate has to show he can weave through and get over these. Awaiting him, elected or not, will be far bigger and tougher challenges, including political reform. Ahn’s performance in the first major test was less than reassuring.
1 | 30 people purchased 8,000 homes: data |
