Ahn vows to limit presidential powers

By Lee Tae-hoon

Independent candidate Ahn Cheol-soo said Sunday that if he were elected president, he would limit the head of state’s powers and put prosecutors on a tighter leash.

“I would have presidential pardons conditioned by the consent of the National Assembly,” he said.

The 50-year-old millionaire sees the absolute power given to a president as the root cause of corruption and is responsible for other social ills.

He talked about power distribution during a news conference in Seoul, aimed at explaining his goals of governance in the face of criticism that he lacks the substance and experience to lead the nation.

“Politicians must give up all their vested interests and take side with the powerless majority, rather than the organized minority,” Ahn said.

He went on to say he will appoint the chief of the Board of Audit and Inspection as recommended by the Assembly.

Ahn hinted that he would push for the relocation of Cheong Wa Dae, the presidential office nestled at the base of Mt. Bukhan and near Gyeongbok Palace, downtown Seoul.

“Cheong Wa Dae should further come down to earth.”

According to his spokesman Yoo Min-young, Ahn wants to move the presidential office to another location in Seoul with greater public access.

The political novice also promised to establish an independent body that exclusively handles irregularities by public servants without any instruction from the president.

“There cannot be justice under the republic of prosecutors who wield absolute power,” he said. “I will reform the prosecution based on the principle of separation of powers and checks and balances, two main pillars of democracy.”

He said he will reduce the number of Cheong Wa Dae appointments from 10,000 to less than 1,000.

“I do not have any political debts to repay,” he said. “I will not give away public posts to those who help with my campaign.”

He also urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions and work together to secure a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“The North must dismantle its nuclear weapons,” Ahn said, adding that the government will seek parliamentary approval for major agreements to be made with the North.

Meanwhile, he called on the ruling and opposition parties to take prompt action in tackling the growing polarization between the haves and have-nots.

“Everyone is talking about the democratization of the economy,” he said. Both Reps. Park Geun-hye and Moon Jae-in, the presidential contenders of the ruling Saenuri Party and main opposition Democratic United Party, respectively, have picked economic democratization as one of their key campaign themes.

“I’d like to ask both the ruling and opposition parties to make laws on the matter right now.”

He said the government will place high priorities on welfare and reduce the number of government-initiated construction projects.

“I will make investments in people first before engineering works,” Ahn said.

The independent candidate acknowledged that his policy visions lack details but is willing to open doors for experts and ordinary people to participate in creating a blueprint.

“I cannot make grand promises during this election,” he said. “But I will share the political process and candidly inform the people to seek their understanding.”

Meanwhile, Kim Sung-sik, a former lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party, joined the Ahn camp. He left the conservative party in late 2011 as the party showed little flexibility in accommodating his demands for reform.