thereby introduce a bill to revise such statute or revising the statute in a constitutional manner through the support of the National Assembly (Article 52 of the Constitution). Even if the President suspects the constitutionality of a statute, questioning the constitutionality of such statute itself in front of the national public constitutes a violation of the President's obligation to protect the Constitution. The President, of course, may express his or her own position and belief regarding the direction for revising the current statutes as a political figure. However, it is of great importance that in which circumstances and in which relations such discussions on possible statutory revisions take place. The President's statements denigrating the current election statutes by comparing them to the equivalent foreign legislations as a response to and in the context of the National Election Commission's warning for the violation of such election statutes cannot be deemed as an attitude respecting the law. The statements as such made by the President, who should serve as a good example for all public officials, might have significantly negative influence on the realization of a government by the rule of law, by gravely affecting the other public officials obligated to respect and abide by the law and, further, by lowering the public's awareness to abide by the law. Namely, it cannot be denied that an obscure attitude or a reserved position of the President toward government by the rule of law gravely affects the nation as a whole and the constitutional order. When the President himself or herself fails to respect and abide by the law, no citizen, let alone no other public officials, can be demanded to abide by the law. (C) To conclude, the act of the President questioning the legitimacy and the normative power of the current statute in front of the public is against the principle of government by the rule of law and is in violation of the obligation to protect the Constitution. (3) Act of suggesting a confidence vote in the form of a national referendum on October 13, 2003 Since the National Assembly's impeachment resolution specifically mentions the President's 'unconstitutional suggestion to have a confidence referendum' with respect to its third stated ground for impeachment of 'unfaithful performance of official duties and reckless administration of state affairs' and the National Assembly further specified on this issue in its brief submitted subsequent to the initiation of the impeachment adjudication, we examine this issue as a subject matter of this impeachment adjudication. (A) The President, during 'his speech' at the National Assembly on October 13, 2003 'concerning the budget for fiscal year of 2004,' - 186 -

Select target paragraph3