By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
Rep. Kang Jae-sup, chairman of the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP), Wednesday urged President Roh Moo-hyun to remain neutral in managing the presidential race.
Kang accused the Roh government of indulging in political trickeries to harm front-running GNP presidential hopefuls.
``I ask the president to stay away from politics and abide by election laws,'' Kang said at a news conference in the party headquarters in Seoul, marking the first anniversary of his inauguration as GNP chairman.
``I'm ready to meet the president at any time to discuss ways of managing the presidential election in a neutral manner,'' he said.
Kang said Roh and his government ministries are stopping at nothing to stay in power.
``Whether it's the National Intelligence Service or the Prosecution, if government agencies try to intervene in the election, we will make a grave decision,'' said the chairman, apparently referring to snowballing rumors and suspicions regarding GNP presidential hopeful Lee Myung-bak, a former Seoul mayor. He didn't elaborate what ``grave decision'' means.
The pro-government camp and the election camp of Park Geun-hye, Lee's rival in the conservative GNP, have been intensifying offense against Lee Myung-bak based on several documents and government reports about property deals of Lee and his brother-in-law.
The GNP accuses government ministries, such as the National Tax Service, of leaking information maliciously.
``Slanderous documents (about Lee), believed to be released by government agencies, are spreading,'' said Kang. ``Does the Roh administration want to steal the reins of government this way again?''
He cited a scandal regarding the alleged draft dodge of a son of Lee Hoi-chang, presidential candidate of the GNP in the 2002 election. The suspicion, raised by then ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), seriously affected the presidential race, giving benefits to Roh on the MDP ticket but turned out to be false after the election.