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Grand National Party presidential frontrunner Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday said vetting of the party¡¯s presidential hopefuls should be thorough but not deteriorate into backbiting and slander of rival contenders. Lee on a KBS current affairs program recalled that the GNP presidential candidate in the 2002 election, Lee Hoi-chang, fell victim to libel from the ruling camp but was later cleared of all accusations. In an apparent reference to attempts by the camp of his main rival Park Geun-hye to discredit him, he added, ¡°It¡¯s wrong for GNP presidential contenders to employ the same unfair campaign tactics against each other.¡±
In an interview with the Chosun Ilbo a day earlier, Park had reiterated her call for a thorough vetting of presidential contenders. But Lee said, ¡°I was vetted when I served as Seoul mayor and as president of Hyundai Engineering and Construction. I worked as the CEO of the company for 20 years, and to be the second top man in a big conglomerate isn¡¯t an achievement anyone could manage¡± without thorough scrutiny.
Lee stressed the party¡¯s internal vetting should be carried out to produce ¡°constructive, positive results without malicious intent to get rid of the rival.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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