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President Roh Moo-hyun announced his departure from the ruling Uri Party during a dinner with the party¡¯s new leaders at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday. The president promised to quit by late this month. With Roh¡¯s departure, Uri effectively loses its status as the ruling party some three years after its establishment.
The dinner was a farewell party but not quite a divorce, as the highly unusual dinner party indicates. They reportedly exchanged pleasantries and expressed hope to meet again soon. President Roh wished the party success, saying its establishment was a historic moment and the party still had historic tasks left. ¡°I hoped that the party¡¯s Feb. 14 national convention would pass without hitches. When I was in Spain, I was pleased to hear that the convention was successful,¡± he was quoted as saying.
In response, the party chairman Chung Se-kyun said party members at the caucus had renewed their will to support the president and government. ¡°Whether the president is a party member or not, the Uri Party can¡¯t avoid the responsibility to make the participatory government a success,¡± he said. Chung expressed gratitude to the president for caring for the party and asked him to continue to give guidance. The dinner lasted two hours and five minutes, 35 minutes longer than scheduled.
Citing the amicable atmosphere, main opposition Grand National Party spokesman Rep. Yoo Ki-jun called the president¡¯s departure a ¡°scheme¡± to help the party win the presidential election and re-capture power without actually severing his ties with the Uri Party. Rep. Joo Sung-young branded the presidential departure ¡°a party cleanup, like money laundering.¡±
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook said at the dinner she will remain in office until the extraordinary session of the National Assembly ends on March 6.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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