The National Assembly has again left an indelible stain on its reputation by railroading next year’s budget bill. Lawmakers of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) acted out a violent scene with those of the Democratic Party (DP) and other opposition parties over the bill at the Assembly on Wednesday. The fight ended with a win for the GNP but not without collateral damage.
First of all, the GNP is under criticism for abusing its power as a majority party. Korea’s unicameral parliament is run by the principle of majority rule. But, this does not necessarily mean that the ruling party can totally ignore the voices of minor parties. The unilateral passage of the 309.1 trillion won ($270.2 billion) budget plan was the direct result of the tyranny of the majority. It contradicted the spirit of democracy based on dialogue and compromise.
The Lee Myung-bak administration and the GNP should take the blame for ramming through the budget plan for the third consecutive year since 2008. They have repeatedly failed to keep their promises to better embrace minority parties and respect different opinions from all walks of life. They have talked too much on the politics of communication and harmony, while doing little to put it into action.
The opposition parties were no better than the GNP. Lawmakers of the DP and other minor parties tried to use the budget issue for political maneuvering and partisan struggles. They attempted to block the passage of the bill in an apparent bid to scrap President Lee’s pet project of refurbishing the nation’s four major rivers. They even boycotted the budget deliberation to call for a halt to the prosecution’s investigation of their own legislators suspected of receiving illegal political donations.
Needless to say, it takes two to tango. The Assembly violence was the joint work of the lawmakers of the rival parties who do not know how to hold a dialogue and compromise. It was reminiscent of a violent clash in December 2008 when DP members mobilized sledgehammers, crowbars and chisels to knock down the doors of a blocked Assembly room to prevent the ratification of a Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA).
It is regrettable that the lawmakers have continued to stage similar violent scenes at the Assembly despite mounting public outcry for their unruly and illegal behavior. It is a pity that the legislators have turned the so-called Hall of Democracy into a hall of shame and violence. We urge them to realize that their violence is a blatant denial of parliamentary democracy. They must face the relentless judgment of the voters in future elections.