President Roh Moo-hyun's Address to the Nation
I wish all of you good health and happiness in the New Year.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the June Civic Uprising in 1987. It also marks the 20th anniversary of the shaping of the Constitution in the present form, which was amended as a result of the June Civic Uprising. A Constitution represents the fundamental norms of a state and its community; it is also an institutional framework of the spirit and values of a given time. The current Constitution has enabled Koreans to implement democracy that allows the public to elect the president through a direct vote and to make a transition of power happen according to the people's choice. In addition, Koreans have successfully eliminated authoritarianism and privilege-based system and have established the fundamental ground for an equitable, transparent and democratic society.
After twenty years, however, the Constitution faces at this point in history an increasing demand to reflect the norms that agree with the spirit of the present time.
Politicians, scholars and civic organizations have long been raising the constitutional amendment issue. A constitutional amendment to adopt a parliamentary cabinet system was part of the campaign promises during the 1997 presidential election. In a run-up to the 2002 Presidential election, candidates from both the ruling and opposition parties promised that they would build national consensus and pursue a constitutional amendment during their term in office.
The Constitution is the supreme law of the Korean national community. For this reason, forming a national consensus is a prerequisite to a constitutional amendment. If people insist on their version of a desired amendment, conflicting interests and values are bound to clash, making it difficult to form or implement a consensus. It is my understanding that this is why little progress has been made despite ongoing arguments for and debates over the constitutional amendment issue.
Consequently, I have come to a conclusion that what is needed is a constitutional amendment focused on an urgent issue with a high degree of public consensus. Therefore, I now propose a constitutional amendment allowing for two consecutive four-year terms for the Office of the President.
A single five-year term, which was introduced through the 1987 constitutional amendment to prevent institutionally anyone from remaining in power indefinitely, needs to be changed now. Fairness and transparency of the election process have been drastically improved and a democratic mindset has matured among the Korean public. Against the backdrop of today's reality, the single-term presidency has shown that concerns over perpetual power, which it aimed to target initially, have already been eclipsed and, if anything, we are witnessing many adverse side effects of a single Presidential term.
A single term, more than anything, undermines the political accountability of the President. The public cannot evaluate how well the president carried out national policies in the following election and it is difficult for the president to pursue the nation's strategic or future-oriented projects with consistency and continuity. In particular, it becomes more difficult for the president to govern the nation responsibly as his tem nears the end, which could plunge the nation into a crisis.
A constitutional amendment to change the current single five-year term limit to two consecutive four-year terms separated by an election would considerably help bolster the accountability and stability of the president's governing and ensure consistency and continuity in the nation's strategic agenda.
I hereby propose that the Constitution be amended to adopt two consecutive four-year terms for the president and to align a presidential election with a parliamentary one with the effect that both systems follow the same cycles. Under the current single five-year term, regular and interim general and local elections are administered frequently as the National Assembly members and elected local government officials serve for four years. Such year-round elections have deepened political confrontation and conflicts, resulting in exorbitant social costs and weakening the stability of in national administration.
Adopting two consecutive four-year presidential terms and aligning presidential and parliamentary terms to four years have long been subject to public debates among political, academic and civic circles as well as the general public, and the level of the public consensus is quite high. In the 2002 presidential election, various candidates made it a campaign promise. The current leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties have noted the need, and the party chairs and legislators mentioned it in their keynote speeches and floor inquiries into the administration during the National Assembly regular session in late 2006.
Some politicians argue that a constitutional amendment be made part of the campaign promise in the forthcoming presidential election with the aim of concluding it during the next administration. However, a constitutional amendment during the next administration would be practically impossible. The reason is that the term of the next National Assembly will expire in May 2012, while the term for the next President is not over until February 2013. Unless the incumbent Presidential cuts his term short by nearly one year, a constitutional amendment will not be feasible.
Either the president or the legislators are quite unlikely to accept an idea of cutting the existing term short, and thus it would not be feasible.
Under the current Constitution, we now have a once-in-20-year opportunity in which we can make the presidential and parliamentary terms align without cutting either short. If we miss this opportunity, we will have to wait for another 20 years.
Some may criticize that the incumbent president may have an ulterior political motive in proposing a constitutional amendment abruptly when another presidential election is around the corner. However, I do not have any ulterior political motive.
Amending the Constitution to allow two consecutive four-year terms for the president and to align the presidential and parliamentary terms is not an agenda to benefit or hurt any political sector in the face of the upcoming presidential election. This is to lay the foundation for a more responsible and stable administration no matter who takes the helm of the Government. In this regard, it would be only reasonable that anyone who is interested in more than winning and is committed to running state affairs more responsibly will support such an amendment.
I have been waiting for the political circle to initiate discussions on this matter. However, it does not appear that we have much time to wait further. As a candidate and winner of the presidential election, I feel a grave burden of responsibility for my campaign promises to the Korean people. If I postpone and fail to address this daunting national task that has to be taken up for the future of the nation and let this once-in-20-year opportunity slip only because there is no consensus in the entire political community, even though the Constitution allows me to propose it on my own, I believe that I fail to fulfill my obligation as the President.
This has led me to make this proposal today to the nation. From now on, I will listen to the voices of the public and political leaders of both ruling and opposition parties. I will seek not only concurring and dissenting opinions on the amendment but also desirable directions of the amendment within the framework of two consecutive four-year terms. Unless there is a clear reason why I should refrain from exercising my rights and duties, I will invoke an authority vested in me by the Constitution to propose an amendment at a date not too distant.
If we focus on issues with a high level of public consensus and no conflicting interests, we will be able to complete the constitutional amendment process of the approval of the National Assembly and a national referendum at an early date.
I am well aware of certain views favoring an extensive amendment of the Constitution, including the power structure, in preparation for a new Korea in the 21st century. If we fail to amend the Constitution to align presidential and parliamentary terms this time, we will encounter a situation in which many discussions about a constitutional amendment would flourish and yet no amendment can be achieved for the next 20 years. If a constitutional amendment takes place this time, we will be able to amend the constitution in the future without being pressured by a time constraint.
We now live in an age when the pace of change determines the rise and fall of a nation. If a nation needs to change but fails to do so, it cannot help falling behind in global competitions. Carrying out reform when it is needed will be the path leading to a successful Republic of Korea.
This is not about calculating immediate political gains and losses. Even if one does calculate, anyone who does so precisely will soon find out that it will only benefit everyone involved and will not be to the detriment of anyone.
For the future and political progress of the Republic, it is desirable to rectify any unreasonable system and to help the next administration set out smoothly based on the newly established reasonable system and carry out state affairs with stronger dynamism. I ask political circles and the Korean people to make a resolute decision in this regard.
Thank you.
웹사이트: http://www.president.go.kr
올인원 PR 플랫폼
기자 발굴부터 성과 측정까지 PR 업무 시간을 절반으로
-
2008년 8월 6일 17:22
관련 분야
