Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 1 december 2016
Two Hong Kong South Korea:

lawmakers lose Opposition struggles for clear Park impeachment plan

appeals on oath on Park’s impeachment

would take place either on
KELVIN CHAN Friday or Dec. 9, because
Associated Press parliamentary plenary ses-
HONG KONG (AP) — Two sions are already sched-
separatist Hong Kong law- uled on those days.
makers lost their appeal “It’s true that some cracks
Wednesday against a have taken place at anti-
ruling disqualifying them Park forces in the Saenuri
from office because they Party after her speech,”
altered their oaths with an said an official at the main
anti-China insult. opposition Democratic
The Court of Appeal sided Party, formerly known by its
with a judgment earlier this Korean-language name,
month barring Sixtus Leung Minjoo.
and Yau Wai-ching of the The official, who requested
Youngspiration Party from anonymity because he
taking their seats in the wasn’t authorized to speak
city’s Legislative Council. to the media, said opposi-
It agreed with the High tion parties are using unof-
Court’s decision two weeks ficial, backroom channels
ago that the two effec- to see if they can still secure
tively declined to take the enough Saenuri lawmakers
oath, violating a section Protesters with pictures of South Korean President Park Geun-hye march toward the presidential who would align with their
of the semiautonomous house during a rally calling for Park to step down in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016. impeachment drive.
Chinese city’s Basic Law The letters read “Park Geun-hye to step down”. If impeached, Park’s presi-
constitution covering oaths (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon). dential powers would be
taken by officials. suspended until the Consti-
The three-judge panel said HYUNG-JIN KIM agreed to stick with their ing party lawmakers have tutional Court makes a rul-
its ruling was backed up by Associated Press plan to try to vote on an im- expressed their willingness ing on her fate. The court
Beijing’s own controversial SEOUL, South Korea (AP) peachment motion as early to vote to oust Park. would have 180 days to
interpretation of the Basic — South Korean President as Friday. But they also said But after Park’s resignation deliberate.
Law. Park Geun-hye’s condi- they’d meet again if that offer Tuesday, made in an Park, in her Tuesday
In an act of defiance at tional resignation offer ap- plan does not work, mean- address to the nation, anti- speech, continued to
the swearing-in ceremony pears to be causing cracks ing they’re bracing for the Park lawmakers gathered deny accusations by pros-
last month, Leung and Yau in what previously had possibility that a Friday vote and agreed it would be ecutors that she colluded
modified the oath, which been a strong push for her might not take place. best for Park to resign in in the criminal activities of
requires pledging alle- impeachment, with oppo- Much of their hesitation to April, after the installation her longtime friend Choi
giance to Hong Kong as a nents now struggling to set pick a clear date is due of a neutral Cabinet that Soon-sil, who, despite hav-
part of China, by referring a date for a vote to strip to the fact that there are can help ensure a stable ing no official role in gov-
to the “Hong Kong nation” her of power. not enough opposition power transfer until a new ernment, allegedly had a
and using a derogatory Park offered Tuesday to lawmakers to pass an im- president is elected, ac- say in policy decisions and
term for China. They also leave office if parliament peachment through par- cording to the office of exploited her presidential
displayed a flag that said arranges a safe transfer of liament, and they would Hwang Young-cheul, one ties to bully companies into
“Hong Kong is not China.” power, triggering an imme- need help from dissenters of the lawmakers who at- giving large sums of money
Yau, 25, cursed and Leung, diate backlash from oppo- in Park’s ruling Saenuri Par- tended the meeting. to businesses and founda-
30, crossed his fingers. sition parties, which called ty. They said they would still tions that Choi controlled.
The actions infuriated Chi- the overture a stalling tac- The three opposition parties take part in a possible im- Prosecutors have indicted
na’s central government in tic to help the president and anti-Park independent peachment vote on Dec. Choi, two ex-presidential
Beijing, which responded navigate through a huge lawmakers have a total of 9 if details for an April res- officials and a music vid-
with a constitutional inter- political scandal involving 172 seats in the 300-seat ignation aren’t worked eo director known as a
pretation that Hong Kong her shadowy confidante. National Assembly. A pas- out through negotiations, Choi associate for extor-
courts are required to en- Leaders of the country’s sage of an impeachment Hwang’s office said. tion, leaking confidential
force. But in an unprece- three main opposition par- motion requires at least 200 Opposition parties have documents and other
dented move, the interpre- ties met Wednesday and votes in favor. About 40 rul- previously said a vote charges.q
tation was released before
a decision, sparking fears Vietnam grants amnesty to over 4,000 prisoners
the lower court came to

that Beijing was eroding HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — nesty under two directives jailed for national security- ment to release all prison-
Hong Kong’s considerable Vietnam has granted am- signed by President Tran related crime, according ers of conscience jailed for
autonomy and indepen- nesty to more than 4,000 Dai Quang. to Senior Lt. Police General peacefully expressing their
dent judiciary. prisoners, including one “The amnesty once again Nguyen Van Thanh. views, but Hanoi says only
Leung and Yau said they sentenced to five years in reflects the policy of leni- Kim has served three years those who broke the law
are considering appealing jail for a national security- ency of our party and State of his sentence for organiz- are locked up.
to Hong Kong’s top court, related crime. of the Socialist Republic of ing people to flee to neigh- Fourteen foreigners will also
the Court of Final Appeal, Giang Son, deputy chair- Vietnam and the humane boring Cambodia. be released, according to
but had to take into ac- man of the President’s tradition of our nation,” Son International human rights Vice Foreign Minister Ha Kim
count mounting legal costs Office, told reporters at said. They will be released groups, the U.S. govern- Ngoc. They include nine
and whether the move a joint press conference from their prisons starting ment and some other from China, three from Laos
would trigger another in- Wednesday that 4,384 in- Thursday. One of the prison- Western governments have and one each from South
terpretation by Beijing.q mates were granted am- ers is Bui Xuan Kim who was urged Vietnamese govern- Korea and Australia.q