아시아 10/06/03 ‘Stern poll judgment’ may hobble government - By Paul Hwang, Seoul

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‘Stern poll judgment’ may hobble government

Published Date: June 3, 2010

By Paul Hwang, Seoul

 

The National Election Commission with its advertisement encouraging people to vote

The defeat of South Korea’s ruling party in nationwide local elections is a “stern judgment” that may result in a lame duck government, religious leaders say.

The June 2 election elected heads of 16 provincial/metropolitan city governments and 191 city/county administrations as well as members of provincial and city/county councils.

The ruling Grand National Party won only six provincial/metropolitan city government heads, losing six other seats it formerly held.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Democratic Party won seven seats, while another three were won by a minor party and two independents.

The new 16 provincial/metropolitan heads include four Catholics from Seoul, Incheon, Busan and Gyeonggi province.

More than half of the South Korean population is concentrated in these four areas.

Father Paul Suh Sang-geen described the result as the “people’s stern judgment” on President Lee Myung-bak’s administration, particularly its Four Rivers Project.

Father Shu of the Catholic Solidarity for Deterrence of Four Major Rivers Project said, “in view of the people’s will, the government must stop the project now.”

The Lee government, whose term of office expires in early 2013, is now a lame duck government, he said.

Meanwhile, Reverend Kwon Oh-sung, secretary of the National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), also interpreted the election result as a “stern warning”.

In a June 3 statement, he observed that the nation did not support the opposition parties but sent a stern warning to President Lee who had “miscommunicated” with various religious and civic groups.

He also pointed to the government’s controversial river project and its recent aggressive policy toward North Korea.

He urged the opposition parties to make further efforts to prepare better policies and a political vision to meet the expectations of the nation.