The leader of the major opposition Grand National Party on Friday urged President Roh Moo-hyun to stay away from domestic politics and focus on addressing economic woes during the remainder of his single five-year term, which ends next February.
"It is time for him to stay away from politicking and concentrate on state affairs," Rep. Kang Jae-sup said in a speech televised nationwide to counter the president's New Year's address and news conference this week.
Roh gave a special address on Tuesday and a news conference on Thursday to seek public support for the ruling Uri Party, which has been rocked by the defections of some lawmakers and the threatened defections of others.
On the two occasions, he also reconfirmed his commitment to a constitutional revision aimed at reducing the presidential term to four years with a chance for reelection.
Roh's speeches were widely seen as gambits to turn the tide of the presidential election amid the plunging approval ratings of his Uri Party, which measured below 10 percent according to recent opinion polls. Public disapproval is fueled mainly by protracted economic woes and security concerns related to North Korea's detonation of a nuclear device in October.
"I urge him to stay neutral in the campaign for the presidency and stop making comments criticizing potential presidential runners from the GNP," Kang added.
He was referring to Roh's address Tuesday, in which the president said, "I am going to watch how the potential presidential runners, who have been calling the present economy a bankruptcy, unveil election pledges on the rate of economic growth."
The GNP, with an approval rating over 50 percent, now appears certain to win December's presidential election.
Kang proposed talks with President Roh over ways to improve the livelihood of the South Korean people.
"We always welcome President Roh if he is willing to talk about the most urgent problems concerning public welfare," he said.
In a response, Roh's office said that the president is willing to meet with Kang and any other opposition leaders to discuss key state affairs.
"Roh is determined to engage in serious and open-minded discussions with the GNP leader over pending national issues," the office Cheong Wa Dae said in a brief statement.
The GNP had rejected Roh's offer to have a debate on changing the current five-year, single-term presidency into a four-year term with the possibility of reelection.
The main opposition party has said it did not need any change to the current presidential system, at least for the time being, urging Roh to leave the issue to the next administration.
The opposition leader opposed another inter-Korean summit until the North Korean nuclear issue is resolved, fearing the possibility of the issue being misused in this politically sensitive election year. "The nuclear issue can only be resolved within the six-party talks, not through the inter-Korean summit," he said. The first-ever meeting between the leaders of the two Koreas was held in 2000.
He also said Roh should focus on strengthening relationships with South Korea's allies.
Kang made it clear that the major opposition party would not accept lawmakers who are leaving the ruling party, saying, "Renegades should be expelled this year."
Earlier this week, several Uri lawmakers left the party.
Reports suggest that dozens of others may follow suit.
Kang's sharp-tongued remarks, however, drew equally critical responses from other opposition parties as well as the ruling Uri Party.
"It is gravely disappointing that the GNP started the new year, the golden year of the pig, with irresponsible criticism and curses... There was nothing remarkable except the scantiness in its alternatives and excessive obsession with the presidential election," Uri spokesman, Woo Sang-ho, told reporters.
Minor opposition parties joined forces in criticizing the GNP for what they called a preoccupation with winning the presidency and sidelining issues on people's livelihoods.
"The GNP's presidential contenders are scavenging around the nation to toss away unverified pledges, which makes the people's livelihood even worse," Lee Sang-yeol, spokesman for the Democratic Party, said.
Seoul, Jan. 26 (Yonhap News)
Opposition leader urges Roh to stay out of politics |
