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S Korea`s Roh defies vote threat
Seoul, Mar 11: Embattled South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has rejected opposition demands that he apologise for a minor breach of election rules.
Seoul, Mar 11: Embattled South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has rejected opposition demands that he apologise for a minor breach of election rules.
Opposition parties are set to proceed with an unprecedented vote to impeach him over recent remarks he made favouring a new political party.
"If people say I should apologise just to avoid being impeached... I cannot accept it," Mr Roh told reporters.
Correspondents say the opposition's moves are linked to elections in April.
The Grand National Party (GNP) and Mr Roh's own former party, the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), tabled the country's first impeachment motion against the president on Tuesday.
They acted after an election watchdog ruled that Mr Roh had breached election rules by recommending voters back the minority Uri Party at the 15 April general election.
The parties accuse President Roh of illegal campaigning, political corruption and incompetence.
The president's supporters in the assembly are preparing to physically resist any attempt to vote on impeachment.
But the GNP leader in the house, Hong Sa-Duk, said the number of MPs ready to support impeachment was in excess of the required two-thirds majority, or 181 of the 271 seats.
"The fate of President Roh has been sealed," he added, as colleagues predicted a vote as early as Thursday afternoon local time. Bureau Report
"If people say I should apologise just to avoid being impeached... I cannot accept it," Mr Roh told reporters.
Correspondents say the opposition's moves are linked to elections in April.
The Grand National Party (GNP) and Mr Roh's own former party, the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP), tabled the country's first impeachment motion against the president on Tuesday.
They acted after an election watchdog ruled that Mr Roh had breached election rules by recommending voters back the minority Uri Party at the 15 April general election.
The parties accuse President Roh of illegal campaigning, political corruption and incompetence.
The president's supporters in the assembly are preparing to physically resist any attempt to vote on impeachment.
But the GNP leader in the house, Hong Sa-Duk, said the number of MPs ready to support impeachment was in excess of the required two-thirds majority, or 181 of the 271 seats.
"The fate of President Roh has been sealed," he added, as colleagues predicted a vote as early as Thursday afternoon local time. Bureau Report