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이명박 대통령이 임기 말 특별사면을 검토하는 것으로 알려진 가운데 여∙야권 의원들이 비난의 목소리를 높이고 있다.
특히 이번 특사는 이 대통령의 친형 이상득 전 새누리당 의원을 포함해 비리와 연루된 이 대통령의 최측근들이 특별 사면 대상으로 거명돼 논란을 더하고 있다.
이혜훈 새누리당 최고위원은 목요일 여의도 당사에서 열린 최고위원회에 참석해 이상득 전 의원의 사면을 “상식을 벗어나는 일”이라며 반대의 뜻을 밝혔다.
이 최고의원은 “사면권은 법적으로 대통령의 고유 권한이지만 국민들의 상식에 부합하게 이루어져야 한다”고 말했다.
검찰은 10일 이상득 전 의원에 저축은행 금품수수혐의에 대해 징역 3년을 구형했으며 선거공판은 오는 24일로 예정되어있다.
청와대 관계자는 설(2월 10일)을 전후해 특별사면을 생각 중이라고 밝혔으며 이명박 대통령은 오는 2월 25일 지난 5년간의 대통령직에서 물러나게 된다.
한편 임태희 전 대통령 실장은 라디오 인터뷰에서 이번 사면이 “대화합의 조치”라고 말했다.
이번 사면 대상으로 거명되고 있는 인물들로는 이 대통령의 정치적 멘토라고 불리는 최시중 전 방통위 위원장과 이 대통령의 대학 동기 천신일 세중나모호회장 등 있다.
민주통합당도 특별사면을 강력 비난하며 박근혜 당선인에게 입장을 분명히 밝힐 것을 촉구했다.
박용인 민주통합당 대변인은 “염치 라곤 찾아볼 수 없는 이번 특사는 이명박 대통령이 국가권력을 남용하는 전형적인 예”라고 비판하며 “우리는 박 당선인이 이번 특사에 대해 사전 보고를 받았는지 묻고 싶다”고 말했다.
박 당선인은 이 문제에 대해 ‘현재 대통령은 단 한 사람임’을 강조하며 침묵을 지키고 있다. 하지만 정치 전문가들은 대통령 사면이 처리될 경우 박근혜 당선인이 차기 정부에 대한 부담이 될 수 있어 이에 대한 반대입장을 표명할 것으로 예상했다.
<영문 기사>
Park aide lashes out at possible presidential pardons
By Samuel Songhoon Lee
High-ranking officials in both the ruling and opposition parties are voicing concerns over the possibility of President Lee Myung-bak pardoning his elder brother and closest confidants implicated in corruption.
Lee Hye-hoon, a close aide to President-elect Park Geun-hye, criticized the talk of a special amnesty for Lee’s brother Lee Sang-deuk as “running against common sense.”
“While the presidential pardon is a constitutional right of the president, it must be exercised in accordance with the common sensibility of the people,” the senior Saenuri Party official said during a top leadership meeting at the party headquarters on Thursday.
Lee Sang-deuk, a former Saenuri lawmaker, is currently standing trial on bribery charges. Prosecutors on Thursday demanded three years in jail with a verdict expected later this month.
A presidential official said Wednesday that Cheong Wa Dae is considering granting special pardons over the Lunar New Year holidays in early February. Lee’s five-year term ends on Feb. 25.
Yim Tae-hee, a former chief of staff, has described the pardons as “a grand gesture of national reconciliation” in a radio appearance.
The list of people being considered for pardon also includes Choi See-choong, who is often described as the president’s political mentor, and Chun Shin-il, a college friend of the president and chairman of Sejoong Namo Tour.
The main opposition Democratic United Party denounced the president immediately after the official hinted at the pardons and went further in asking the Saenuri Party to clarify if there were any backroom dealings between the incumbent president and the president-elect over the pardons.
“There is no sense of shame in this presidential pardon, which stands as a typical example of Lee Myung-bak’s misuse of power,” said Park Yong-jin, a DUP spokesperson, in a press briefing. “We ask President-elect Park: Have you been briefed on the intent of these presidential pardons?”
The President-elect has so far kept her silence, stressing that there is only one president at a time. But pundits say that Park will likely publicly voice her opposition if the presidential pardon were to proceed, as it could be an undue burden to the next administration.
(songhoon@heraldcorp.com)
Park aide lashes out at possible presidential pardons
By Samuel Songhoon Lee
High-ranking officials in both the ruling and opposition parties are voicing concerns over the possibility of President Lee Myung-bak pardoning his elder brother and closest confidants implicated in corruption.
Lee Hye-hoon, a close aide to President-elect Park Geun-hye, criticized the talk of a special amnesty for Lee’s brother Lee Sang-deuk as “running against common sense.”
“While the presidential pardon is a constitutional right of the president, it must be exercised in accordance with the common sensibility of the people,” the senior Saenuri Party official said during a top leadership meeting at the party headquarters on Thursday.
Lee Sang-deuk, a former Saenuri lawmaker, is currently standing trial on bribery charges. Prosecutors on Thursday demanded three years in jail with a verdict expected later this month.
A presidential official said Wednesday that Cheong Wa Dae is considering granting special pardons over the Lunar New Year holidays in early February. Lee’s five-year term ends on Feb. 25.
Yim Tae-hee, a former chief of staff, has described the pardons as “a grand gesture of national reconciliation” in a radio appearance.
The list of people being considered for pardon also includes Choi See-choong, who is often described as the president’s political mentor, and Chun Shin-il, a college friend of the president and chairman of Sejoong Namo Tour.
The main opposition Democratic United Party denounced the president immediately after the official hinted at the pardons and went further in asking the Saenuri Party to clarify if there were any backroom dealings between the incumbent president and the president-elect over the pardons.
“There is no sense of shame in this presidential pardon, which stands as a typical example of Lee Myung-bak’s misuse of power,” said Park Yong-jin, a DUP spokesperson, in a press briefing. “We ask President-elect Park: Have you been briefed on the intent of these presidential pardons?”
The President-elect has so far kept her silence, stressing that there is only one president at a time. But pundits say that Park will likely publicly voice her opposition if the presidential pardon were to proceed, as it could be an undue burden to the next administration.
(songhoon@heraldcorp.com)
