Main opposition party vows to file perjury charge against PM nominee

SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition party said Sunday it will file a
criminal charge against the prime minister nominee for lying about his wealth
during last week's parliamentary confirmation hearing.

Rival political parties have been locking horns over President Lee Myung-bak's
Sept. 3 nomination of former Seoul National University head Chung Un-chan, with
opposition parties accusing him of lying about his source of income and "siding
with the government."
During the parliamentary hearing, Chung, a progressive economic scholar
previously known as an outspoken critic of Lee's policies, called for revision of
a plan to relocate scores of administrative bodies to a provincial city, a
presidential campaign promise of Lee's immediate predecessor Roh Moo-hyun.
The incumbent administration has, until now, refrained from making official
alteration to the project, fearing a possible political backlash from South
Chungcheong Province where the new administrative city will be built.
"We plan to file a complaint with the prosecution against the prime minister
nominee on Monday on perjury charges," Woo Je-chang, spokesperson for the
Democratic Party (DP), said during a press briefing. "He deliberately
underreported his wealth."
Opposition party legislators have demanded the state tax office scrutinize
Chung's financial records, claiming his financial assets suspiciously snowballed
in 2006-08 and his reported expenditure exceeds his reported income during the
period.
Leaders of the main opposition party and the minority Liberty Forward Party met
earlier in the day, agreeing to join hands in pushing Chung to withdraw his
nomination.
DP Chairman Chung Sye-kyun and his counterpart Lee Hoi-chang also agreed it was
"highly inappropriate" for the prime minister nominee to call for revision of the
new administrative city project, according to a joint statement the two parties
later released.
The ruling Grand National Party (GNP), however, vowed to push for the
parliamentary confirmation of the prime minister nominee, slated for Monday,
accusing its main rival of launching a "political attack" ahead of the Oct. 28
by-elections.
"We will not tolerate the opposition party's political action and approve the
nomination with help from minority parties and independent lawmakers," Ahn
Sang-soo, the ruling party floor leader, said in a press conference Sunday.
Ruling party leaders are focusing on persuading their own party members who are
said to be critical of the prime minister nominee, according to sources, as all
GNP members would have to vote for him to win approval. The ruling party holds
167 seats in the 299-member unicameral house while the main opposition controls
83.
Last week, a 13-member special hearing committee failed pass a report on the
nomination, a key procedural step in Chung's appointment, due to a lack of
quorum. One GNP lawmaker failed to attend the committee, and six opposition
lawmakers boycotted it, arguing that suspicions surrounding him have yet to be
unraveled.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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