South Korea's three
opposition parties said they would file an impeachment motion Friday against
beleaguered President Park Geun-Hye, and push for a national assembly
vote next
week.
Accused of colluding
with a close friend who faces embezzlement charges, Park said last week she
would be willing to step down in the face of weekly mass protests that have
seen millions take to the streets of Seoul and other cities.
The opposition said
Park's offer, which put the manner and timing of her resignation in the hands
of parliament, was an effort to buy time and avoid impeachment.
The joint opposition
commands the most seats in the legislature, but would need the support of
nearly 30 members of Park's Saenuri Party to secure the two-thirds majority
needed to impeach the president.
"We've agreed
to actively persuade anti-Park (Saenuri) lawmakers to back us," said Park
Jie-Won, parliamentary floor leader of the opposition People's Party.
If passed, the
motion would go to the Constitutional Court for approval -- a process that
could take up to six months.
The Saenuri Party
has called on Park to stand down voluntarily in April next year, allowing a
presidential election to be held in June -- six months ahead of schedule.
Party officials have
given her a week to accept the timeline or face impeachment.
The scandal
engulfing Park's administration is centred around a long-time friend of the
president, Choi Soon-Sil, who has been dubbed "Korea's Rasputin".
Prosecutors say they
have evidence that Park colluded in Choi's efforts to coerce firms to
"donate" tens of millions of dollars to foundations she set up for
personal gain.
Park has been named
as a formal suspect in the investigation, making her the first sitting
president to be subject to a criminal probe while in office.
While she retains
the presidency, Park cannot be charged with a criminal offence except
insurrection or treason, but she would lose that immunity once she steps down.
Massive weekly protests
have been intensifying over the past month, with organisers claiming up to 1.5
million people braved freezing temperatures in Seoul last Saturday to demand
Park's resignation.
Activists have
called for a sixth protest this Saturday in central Seoul, despite Park's
announcement that she would be willing to cede power.
Park on Wednesday
approved a lawyer recommended by the opposition-controlled parliament as an
independent prosecutor.
The special
prosecutor will interview the president and be given 120 days to follow up on
the findings of state investigators.
Park has backtracked
on earlier promises to make herself available for questioning in a judicial
probe.
AFP
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