By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Former Grand National Party (GNP) Chairwoman Park Geun-hye boycotted a workshop Tuesday, prepared for 153 lawmakers-elect of the party to learn the dos and don'ts as legislators.
She also rejected President Lee Myung-bak's invitation to a dinner at Cheong Wa Dae for the lawmakers-elect later in the day. Lee was elected president last December on the GNP's ticket.
Park and GNP leaders have differed over whether 14 lawmakers-elect who belong to the Pro-Park Geun-hye Alliance should be allowed to rejoin the party. Some supporters of Park deserted the GNP after failing to be selected to run on the party's ticket in the April 9 parliamentary elections, and were elected.
Novelist and columnist Bok Geo-il described Park as Cinderella, who won a triumphant reward through the elections after enduring unjust oppression by her stepmother, referring to President Lee.
In a column recently published in a local newspaper, Bok said the President was viewed by the general pubic as a wicked stepmother, having tried to have her biological daughters (referring to Lee's close aides) wear the glass shoes (election victory).
The columnist observed the people saved Park and her aides in the elections by casting their ballots for them while voting against Lee's aides.
Park's boycotting the GNP's educational program was construed as revealing her discontent over Lee and GNP leaders who oppose her supporters rejoining the party.
Political observers also said Park was mindful of the ongoing investigation of lawmakers-elect Yang Jung-rye and Suh Chung-won of the pro-Park alliance, which could have a negative fallout on her political career.
Park, however, remains mum on the investigation.
Yang reportedly contributed more than 1 billion won to the pro-Park alliance as a membership fee during the campaign.
Sources said Suh recommended Yang as No. 1 in the list of candidates under the proportional representation system.
Prosecutors seized and searched Suh's office over the weekend to find possible evidence supporting the allegation that Yang's cash contribution was made in return for her gaining a parliamentary seat. Suh heads the alliance.
Suh, who previously claimed the investigation was a politically motivated attack against his group, denied the allegation and said he has not received a single penny from Yang under the so-called special party membership fee.
Spokeswoman Song Young-sun of the alliance claimed that political motives were behind the prosecutors' investigation of Suh.
``When it comes to the lawmakers-elect under the proportional representation system, no parties are exempt from the allegations,'' Song said.
``Therefore, I think Suh's investigation is politically motivated as no other party leaders have ever been called upon by the prosecution in similar cases.''
Prosecutors have sought an arrest warrant for lawmaker-elect Jeong Kuk-kyo of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) for his alleged involvement in stock manipulation.
The prosecution also sought arrest warrants for two other lawmakers-elect of minor parties for their alleged roles in forgery and illicit deals.