By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter


President Roh Moo-hyun Thursday made a formal proposal for a coalition government, led by the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) and joined by other political parties, in order to address what he called the nation’s chronic problem of regional animosity.

In a letter to members of the ruling Uri Party, which was in fact directed at the GNP, Roh described his offer as one equivalent to a ``power transition.’’ He suggested the GNP instead take part in the reform of the electoral system to bring an end to regional rivalry.

The written message, titled ``A Proposal for Political Reform,’’ rekindled the controversy over a coalition between the ruling and opposition parties which was first triggered when Roh made a similar offer about two weeks ago. Opposition parties, including the GNP, had rejected the proposal.

Roh has on several occasions expressed his willingness to reduce presidential power in a new power structure, tempered by some characteristics of a parliamentary Cabinet system of government, if it could solve the ``inveterate and structural’’ political problems of the nation.

``I’m ready to give up more than half of my power if the political circles agree on a resolution concerning regional antagonism, which has been a huge obstacle to the nation’s development,’’ he wrote in a previous letter.

Roh said in the latest message that, if a political agreement is reached, a grand coalition led by the GNP could be formed and he would transform his presidential power into the coalition government. A new election law could be made by the ruling and opposition parties, he added.

``We need to make the hard decision to give up our own vested rights,’’ he said. ``The president and the Uri Party give up their governing power and the Grand National Party should give up its vested interests based on regionalism,’’ he said.

The GNP, however, denounced the coalition proposal as a plot to circumvent responsibility for the Roh administration’s failure to reverse a protracted economic downturn. Rep. Na Kyung-won, the GNP’s vice floor leader, said her party would not respond to the proposal.

``There are views that the latest proposal came out of a wish to avoid current problems facing the administration. We believe we must first focus our efforts on problems facing the country,’’ she said.

Other minor parties also rebuffed the coalition proposal, urging the Roh administration to focus on reviving the economy rather than talking about ``political maneuvering.’’

Roh, a well-known fighter against the regional animosity, has tried hard to address the deep-rooted problem of South Korean politics, in which the conservative GNP sweeps almost all the parliamentary seats in the southeastern Kyongsang region.

Coming from the same region, Roh made several unsuccessful bids in elections in the region on a ticket of the GNP’s rival party. His tenacious challenges in the end helped him win the 2002 presidential election.

``It is a goal of my political lifetime and duty in front of the history to overcome the regional rivalry of this country,’’ he wrote in the latest letter, adding the task could not be accomplished without reform of the electoral system.

He said he would continue to propose a coalition government until the GNP accepts his offer or presents an alternative to redress the regional rivalry.

jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr