Parties Lukewarm on Constitutional Change
By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said Wednesday it was premature to talk about the constitutional change called for by President Lee Myung-bak as it requires further discussion and a broad public consensus.
``In-depth discussions on a constitutional amendment should start after the local elections (next year),'' DP Chairman Rep. Chung Sye-kyun said.
In an interview Tuesday, President Lee reiterated his call for a constitutional change to overhaul the government's power structure and redraw electoral and administrative districts to end regionalism-based politics.
Chung said, ``Even the President and the governing party have yet to reach an agreement on the matter. We think Lee's comment was a heartless political maneuver intended to divert the nation's attention.''
Rep. Lee Hoi-chang, chairman of the minor opposition Liberty Forward Party (LFP) argued that President Lee's idea is ``too idealistic and impractical.''
He said that a surgical change is inappropriate for a constitutional revision as it would require a referendum and an ``extremely complicated process.''
``If we are to make only a minor change, it would be wiser to leave the Constitution as it is now,'' he said. ``What the country really needs is a comprehensive revision.''
Chung Mong-joon, chairman of the governing Grand National Party (GNP), also did not warmly welcome the proposal.
Chung said discussions on constitutional change should be led by lawmakers rather than by the President. ``Political reform is a task that should be handled by the parliament. The President and the administration should instead focus on pending issues facing the country.''