ID :
211192
Wed, 10/05/2011 - 02:05
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/211192
The shortlink copeid
New political experiment
The Korea Times
(Yonhap) - Civic activist Park Won-soon???s winning of the opposition ticket for the Seoul mayoral race shows how sick and tired voters are of party politics.
It is too early to tell whether Park will also succeed in the round against a rival backed by the nation???s largest established party and prove he was not just riding on the wave of ``citizens??? politics.???
Given the unusually active participation by SNS-savvy young delegates at the opposition???s convention, however, one thing became clear. The anti-Establishment, pro-independent political sentiment may not just be a fleeting wind but a longer-lasting phenomenon to affect next year???s big elections and even significantly change the political landscape.
Assuming that citizens, led by voters in their 20s and early 30s joining the worldwide groups of ``angry young men,??? pick leaders from among their own ranks by circumventing political parties, Korea will be conducting an unprecedented political experiment.
So heavy is the responsibility Park, a political novice, should shoulder.
As a civic activist, he has had only to attack the problems of the Establishment ??? political parties and big businesses. Now the 55-year-old Park has to demonstrate not just he is different from them morally and ethically and but he has the ability to administer the nation???s largest and most important city. Most urgently, Park should prove he has nothing to hide in his previous financial dealings with corporate contributors.
That said, it is regrettable that the governing Grand National Party gives the impression of resorting again to ``old politics??? of besmearing campaign rather than differentiating their own candidate through policy. Most glaring of all was the premature, unwarranted electoral intervention by Presidential Chief of Staff Lim Tae-hee, who recently hinted there might be something shady between the opposition candidate???s civic groups and big businesses.
Voters may think the chief presidential aide should have far more important things to do to alleviate their economic difficulties.
Park???s campaign slogan of ``from concrete to humans??? seems quite timely and heading in the right direction. The majority of Seoul citizens have grown tired of a decade of neo-liberalist, builder-friendly policies by outgoing mayor Oh Se-hoon and his predecessor, President Lee Myung-bak. Now, the lawyer-turned-activist candidate has to show how he would change this through detailed policies in cooperation with all the opposition parties.
He must also demonstrate how a different mayor can change the everyday lives of Seoulites and turn this global megalopolis into a more people-friendly city. Most important of all, Park must persuade citizens that he will remain a ``citizen??? and not be incorporated into the power elite group if he becomes mayor.
(Yonhap) - Civic activist Park Won-soon???s winning of the opposition ticket for the Seoul mayoral race shows how sick and tired voters are of party politics.
It is too early to tell whether Park will also succeed in the round against a rival backed by the nation???s largest established party and prove he was not just riding on the wave of ``citizens??? politics.???
Given the unusually active participation by SNS-savvy young delegates at the opposition???s convention, however, one thing became clear. The anti-Establishment, pro-independent political sentiment may not just be a fleeting wind but a longer-lasting phenomenon to affect next year???s big elections and even significantly change the political landscape.
Assuming that citizens, led by voters in their 20s and early 30s joining the worldwide groups of ``angry young men,??? pick leaders from among their own ranks by circumventing political parties, Korea will be conducting an unprecedented political experiment.
So heavy is the responsibility Park, a political novice, should shoulder.
As a civic activist, he has had only to attack the problems of the Establishment ??? political parties and big businesses. Now the 55-year-old Park has to demonstrate not just he is different from them morally and ethically and but he has the ability to administer the nation???s largest and most important city. Most urgently, Park should prove he has nothing to hide in his previous financial dealings with corporate contributors.
That said, it is regrettable that the governing Grand National Party gives the impression of resorting again to ``old politics??? of besmearing campaign rather than differentiating their own candidate through policy. Most glaring of all was the premature, unwarranted electoral intervention by Presidential Chief of Staff Lim Tae-hee, who recently hinted there might be something shady between the opposition candidate???s civic groups and big businesses.
Voters may think the chief presidential aide should have far more important things to do to alleviate their economic difficulties.
Park???s campaign slogan of ``from concrete to humans??? seems quite timely and heading in the right direction. The majority of Seoul citizens have grown tired of a decade of neo-liberalist, builder-friendly policies by outgoing mayor Oh Se-hoon and his predecessor, President Lee Myung-bak. Now, the lawyer-turned-activist candidate has to show how he would change this through detailed policies in cooperation with all the opposition parties.
He must also demonstrate how a different mayor can change the everyday lives of Seoulites and turn this global megalopolis into a more people-friendly city. Most important of all, Park must persuade citizens that he will remain a ``citizen??? and not be incorporated into the power elite group if he becomes mayor.
