By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Lawmakers-elect of the opposition parties are being investigated for illicit deals, which are likely to deal a blow to party leaders if they are confirmed to be true.
It seems unavoidable for them to face criticism because they either recommended or played a critical role in the screening of candidates in the proportional representation system.
Under the system, parties are entitled to National Assembly seats according to the number of votes they win in the election.
Co-chairman Sohn Hak-kyu of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) picked Jeong Kuk-kyo, who was arrested on charges of stock manipulation after being selected as the No. 1 candidate for proportional representation seat.
Faced with Jeong's arrest, UDP leaders played a blame game as to who should take responsibility for the choice.
UDP Co-chairman Park Sang-cheon hinted Sohn should, arguing the party would have not faced such an embarrassing situation if its leaders had paid due attention to qualifications during the screening process.
``Early on, screening committee members requested that we seriously review if Jeong was qualified to be the No. 1 candidate for the proportional representation system. I now regret that we, party leaders, were negligent in the screening,'' Park said.
His remarks were construed as an attempt to blame Sohn, who recommended Jeong for the position.
Sohn countered Park's comments, arguing he had reviewed Jeong's qualifications and concluded he deserved it because a financial watchdog confirmed he was not implicated in stock manipulation.
In an attempt to avoid criticism, Sohn blamed prosecutors for having charged the lawmaker-elect, claiming Jeong should face investigation without physical detention.
``He is a lawmaker-elect and would not flee during the investigation. Given that no decisive evidence has been found to support that he was engaged in stock manipulation, Jeong should have not been arrested,'' Sohn said.
Two lawmakers-elect of the Pro-Park Geun-hye Alliance and the Renewal of Korea Party (ROKP) (formerly known as the Creative Korea Party) are also being investigated by prosecutors, causing trouble for their respective leaders.
Co-leader Suh Chong-won of the alliance was behind the choosing of Yang Jung-rye, who faces investigation for allegedly buying her Assembly seat.
The alliance accused leaders of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) of masterminding the prosecutors' investigations.
Lee Han-jung of the ROKP, who was found to be involved in forgery and to have a criminal record, tarnished the image of the minor party and its leader, Moon Kook-hyun.
Moon, who was elected lawmaker through direct voting in a Seoul district in the April 9 election, has not shown up at any party events for the last couple of days since the allegations over Lee proved to be true.