President Roh Moo-hyun on Sunday called on the ruling Uri Party to respect his appointment rights, his spokesman said, suggesting he will name his former secretary as the new justice minister despite party opposition.
"The president's right to make appointments is the very core of his rights to administer the nation. So please respect that," Roh was quoted as saying by Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Jung Tae-ho.
Roh made the comment during his luncheon meeting with ruling party leaders including Kim Geun-tae, the party chairman, and floor leader Kim Han-gill, at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.
The meeting came at a time when the rift between Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling party has grown wider, as the party exerted political pressure that led to the resignation of Education Minister Kim Byung-joon as well as expressed objections to Roh's expected appointment of a new justice minister.
Kim tendered his resignation on Wednesday over suspicions that he plagiarized his student's thesis and engaged in other unethical behavior as a professor in the past.
Roh's intention to appoint Moon Jae-in, former chief presidential secretary for civil affairs known as his most trusted aide, as justice minister has faced opposition from the Uri Party, which says the official was chosen because he shares his political inclinations with the president.
The presidential office has expressed discontent with the governing party over its criticism of recent Cabinet appointments.
"The Participatory Government is operated by the checks and balances system, and no one has power beyond their own," Roh was quoted as saying in the luncheon.
Roh also said, "I will do my best until the end of my term," suggesting he will not be swayed by the opposition from the ruling party over appointment issues.
The main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) also expressed opposition to Roh's decision on the justice minister.
"The president has been awarded the personnel appointment right by the South Korean people. It's not something that he can do anything with," the party's floor leader Kim Hyong-o said over the phone to Yonhap News Agency.
"Wouldn't it be more than ignoring South Koreans if the president insists on picking Moon, who previously was chief presidential secretary, as justice minister? ... The GNP cannot accept such a decision," Kim said.
At Sunday's meeting, Roh also brushed off speculation that he may leave the ruling party amid his rift with the party, saying he will stay a member even after his term as the president ends.
Roh's single five-year term ends in early 2008, but he is barred by law from seeking re-election.
"The Uri Party is the one that should take the lead in keeping historic legitimacy and achieving people's integration in the future," Roh said, "Even after my term ends, I will be with it like a soldier follows his army."
Concerning the education minister, Roh will accept his resignation Monday, the spokesman said.
The president and the Uri Party agreed at the meeting to create a consultation body tasked with fine-tuning their stances on sensitive issues such as appointments of Cabinet members, Uri Party spokesman Woo Sang-ho said.
Seoul, Aug. 6 (Yonhap News)
Roh asks Uri Party to respect his personnel decisions |
