A meeting on Friday between President Lee Myung-bak and Rep. Park Geun-hye of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) has drawn much attention as they agreed to work together to regain public trust. It came after the GNP suffered a stunning loss in the April 27 by-elections. Both Lee and Park have felt the need to make joint efforts to win over disgruntled voters who have increasingly turned their back on the ruling camp.
It is safe to say that a sense of crisis has forced the two political rivals in the GNP to bury the hatchet and form a united front to prepare for next year’s general elections and a presidential poll. It is still doubtful if Lee and Park can mend their tense relationship and move toward a genuine partnership to keep the GNP’s grip on power beyond the elections. For now, only a few expect the two political heavyweights to do so.
First of all, the one-on-one meeting was full of rhetorical flourish, while lacking substance to practice what they said and agreed to do. Of course, the meeting, the seventh of its kind since President Lee’s 2008 inauguration, was different from the previous ones. They apparently had candid talks about pending issues ranging from management of state affairs to the operation of the party and economy.
One of the positive aspects was that Lee and Park have agreed to “put a focus on people’s livelihood and move toward unity rather than division” to restore voter confidence. The agreement appears to be based on the recognition that people, especially low-income earners, have withheld their support for the Lee government and the GNP because they could not enjoy a fair share of the nation’s strong economic recovery.
Without helping the people improve their living standards, President Lee cannot avoid criticism for policy failures and maladministration. This will not only hasten the lame-duck presidency but also hamper the GNP’s efforts to win parliamentary and presidential elections set for next April and December, respectively. Park, one of the ambitious presidential hopefuls in the party, could suffer collateral damage too.
The GNP cannot prolong its power if it continues its internal strife between the pro-Lee faction and the pro-Park faction. People are already fed up with the factional struggle. That’s why the two groups should put an end to their animosity and promote unity and harmony so that they can put their common interests before narrow-minded factional interests.
What’s important is that Lee and Park should make all-out efforts to translate into practice what they said. This is easier said than done. But, if they keep being long on words but short on action, self-destruction may be the only outcome. The government and the GNP have many thorny issues to tackle, such as soaring inflation, a high jobless rate, snowballing household debt and a massive corruption scandal surrounding executives of Busan Savings Bank, regulators, auditors and politicians.
There is no time to be wasted on political bickering or a power struggle. President Lee and Rep. Park should change themselves first to forge a real partnership. They should work together to save their troubled party, restore politics of dialogue and compromise, and bring new hope and vision to the nation.