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Cheong Wa Dae has apparently decided to put off the Grand Canal Project and ask the ruling Grand National Party to survey public opinion. Considering strong opposition to the cross-Korea canal project, an election pledge by President Lee Myung-bak, the government ¡°will not strain itself to push the project within this year,¡± a key official at Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday. The GNP will be in charge of carrying out all the related legislative procedures and public opinion survey, he said.
The remarks suggest that the presidential office will let the GNP, local governments and the relevant ministries take the initiative in the process of negotiating and surveying public opinion. If public opinion continues negative and local governments are still lukewarm about it, the cross-country canal project could be deferred indefinitely.
Lee Hahn-koo, the GNP¡¯s chief policymaker, said although the party has received no proposal from President Lee Myung-bak officially, he believes the move ¡°underscores how keen the Lee Administration is to listen to public opinion and values scientific analysis¡± in carrying out the project. The presidential office is also considering a test run of the canal project in the Yeongsan River area in the Jeolla region, instead of in the Gyeongsang provinces, where economic prospects were questioned and the possibility of environmental damage was raised.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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