Category: Politics

{Constitutional Court unanimously rules to formally remove impeached President Park Geun-hye from office.}

South Korea’s top court has ruled to formally end impeached President Park Geun-hye’s rule.

Eight judges from the Constitutional Court assembled on Friday to issue a verdict to remove Park from office over a corruption scandal.

The ruling sparked protests from hundreds of her supporters, two of whom were killed in clashes with police outside the court.

It marks the first time a South Korean president has been ousted before the end of their term since democracy replaced dictatorship in the late 1980s.

In contrast, tens of thousands of South Koreans occupied a square in front of an old palace in the capital to celebrate Park’s ousting.

The ruling opens Park, who no longer has immunity as a president, up to possible criminal proceedings – prosecutors have already named her a criminal suspect.

It also marks the first time a South Korean president has been ousted before the end of their term since democracy replaced dictatorship in the late 1980s.

Election law now requires a snap poll to be held within 60 days.

Park, 65, has been accused of colluding with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, and a former presidential aide, both of whom have been on trial, to pressure big businesses to donate to two foundations set up to back her policy initiatives.

She is also accused of soliciting bribes from the head of the Samsung Group for government favours including the backing of a merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015 that was seen to support the succession of control over the country’s largest “chaebol” conglomerate.

Park has denied any wrongdoing, but apologised for putting trust in her friend.

Park’s action had “seriously impaired the spirit of … democracy and the rule of law,” said constitutional court chief justice Lee Jung-Mi. “President Park Geun-hye … has been dismissed.”

Prosecutors have arrested and indicted a slew of high-profile figures over the scandal, including Park’s confidante Choi Soon-sil, top Park administration officials and Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong.

But Park has avoided a direct investigation thanks to a law that gives a sitting president immunity from prosecution for most of alleged crimes.

Since she’s now no longer in power, prosecutors can summon, question and possibly arrest her.

Park will not vacate the official residence of the president of South Korea, the Blue House, on Friday as her aides are preparing for her return to her private home in southern Seoul.

She was not planning any statement on Friday, the Blue House said.

“That’s been one of the uncertainties today because we are in unchartered territory,” Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride, reporting from Seoul, said.

“It was thought in one stage that the ruling would mean she would have to leave immediately but that doesn’t seem to be the case. She is there for this evening and we expect her to leave sometime over the weekend.”

Park’s parliamentary impeachment in December came after weeks of Saturday rallies that drew millions who wanted her resignation.

Overwhelmed by the biggest rallies in decades, the voices of Park supporters were largely ignored. But they have recently regrouped and staged fierce pro-Park rallies.

In anticipation of the ruling, Park supporters, many of them dressed in army-style fatigues and wearing red berets, and those who want Park gone began showing up around the Constitutional Court building.

A big television screen was set up near the court so that people could watch the verdict live. Hundreds of police also began preparing for the protests, putting on helmets with visors and black, hard plastic breastplates and shin guards.

Some of Park’s supporters reacted with anger after the ruling, shouting and hitting police officers and reporters with plastic flag poles and steel ladders, and climbing on police buses. Anti-Park protesters celebrated by marching in the streets near the Blue House, carrying flags, signs and an effigy of Park dressed in prison clothes and tied up with rope.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said two people died while protesting Park’s removal. An official from the Seoul National University Hospital said that a man in his 70s, believed to be a Park supporter, died from head wounds after falling from the top of a police bus.

An official from the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in Seoul said another man brought from the pro-Park rally died shortly after receiving CPR at the hospital. The hospital official could not immediately confirm the cause of death.

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn has led the government as acting leader since Park’s impeachment and he will continue to do so until South Korea elects a new president by May.

He called on Park’s supporters and opponents to put their differences aside to prevent deeper division.

“It is time to accept, and close the conflict and confrontation we have suffered,” Hwang said in a televised speech on Friday.

People on both sides had previously threatened not to accept a Constitutional Court decision.

One of Park’s lawyers told the court last month that there will be “a rebellion and blood will drench the asphalt” if Park is booted from office.

Park’s critics want to see her appear on TV while dressed in prison garb, handcuffed and bound like others involved in the scandal. But some analysts worry that could create a backlash by conservatives.

Jean Lee, a journalist and global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Korea centre, told Al Jazeera there is a sense of fear among Park supporters that this decision will be a security threat.

“There is a lot of fear by the older generation, the old guard. There’s fear it’s made [the country] more vulnerable,” Lee said.

Even after the election, imprisoning Park could still be a burden for a new government, which must pursue national unity to overcome security, economic and other problems, said Chung Jin-young, a professor at Kyung Hee University. Others say it will not be difficult.

Liberal Moon Jae-in, who lost to Park in the 2012 election, currently enjoys a comfortable lead in opinion surveys.

Pre-verdict surveys showed that 70 to 80 percent of South Koreans wanted the court to approve Park’s impeachment. But there have been worries that Park’s ouster would further polarise the country and cause violence.

Source:Al Jazeera

{European Union leaders re-elect Donald Tusk as president despite opposition from his native Poland.}

European Union leaders confirmed Donald Tusk for a second term as their president, angering his home country of Poland and opening up a new rift at a time when EU unity is essential.

The 27 other EU leaders overrode weeks of objections from the nationalist government in Warsaw, which has a long and bitter rivalry with former Prime Minister Tusk and opposed giving him another term at the EU.

Tusk’s supporters portrayed his re-election on Thursday as head of the EU Council, one of the bloc’s most prestigious jobs, as a sign of stability and continuity for the troubled bloc.

Tusk’s future was dealt with in less than an hour as fellow leaders rejected the argument of Poland, an increasingly awkward partner, that a decision should be delayed.

That spared the EU a long debate about its leadership at a time when it is dealing with Britain’s planned departure and a host of other challenges. Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said such a dispute would “plunge Europe into a senseless crisis”.

“The dispute was expected,” said Al Jazeera’s Nadim Baba, reporting from Brussels.

There is a lot of bad blood between the current administration in Warsaw and the president of the European Council. Donald Tusk himself acknowledge what he called a paradox that his own country opposed him, but he is promising to make the European Union a better and stronger institution.”

Poland said it would refuse to approve some summit texts, and raised questions about how lasting a rift the move would create.

Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said it was “very bad” that Tusk was pushed through over the objections of his home country, adding that “today it applies to Poland, but in the future this may apply to other nations”.

With a show of 27 hands that isolated Poland, Tusk still felt there was enough unity around him to go on for a second term of two and a half years.

The council president is responsible for chairing summits, coordinating the work of member countries and making sure the 28 nations speak as much as possible with one voice on the international stage.

“It may sound like a paradox because of the context, but anyway, your decision is an expression of our unity today,” Tusk told leaders after his re-election. “I will work with all of you without any exceptions because I am truly devoted to a united Europe.”

Szydlo, however, said Tusk could not be impartial when it came to dealing with the government in Warsaw.

The leader of Poland’s governing Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, accused Tusk of disloyalty to his homeland, saying he didn’t have the right to “function under (Poland’s) white and red flag”.

In an apparent reference to the Polish government, Tusk said: “Be careful of the bridges you burn because once they are gone you can never cross them again.”

He also vowed to keep his nation out of political isolation despite its obstructionist course.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said other EU countries had spoken extensively with Poland beforehand.

She said it is important to seek consensus, but “the search for consensus must of course not be used for a blockade”.

Merkel stressed other EU countries’ interest in good relations with Poland. “We will see how things develop. I hope that we can return to sensible cooperation,” she said.

Poland’s government argues that Tusk supports the domestic opposition in Poland and has failed to protect the country’s interests in the EU.

There is also long-standing personal animosity between Tusk and Kaczynski, Poland’s most influential politician.

Kaczynski accuses Tusk of contributing, through lax security, to the death of his twin brother, President Lech Kaczynski, in a plane crash in 2010.

On Thursday, Warsaw failed to win support even from frequent ally Hungary, which has also clashed in recent years with Brussels over Hungary’s refusal to take in migrants and over concerns about the rule of law.

Other EU countries weren’t impressed with its proposal that Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, a little-known European Parliament lawmaker, replace Tusk in a job traditionally held by a former national leader.

“I don’t see how one country could oppose this solution when all the others are in favor,” French President Francois Hollande said.

Source:Al Jazeera

{The 65-year-old politician’s career has been marked by tragedy, triumph and a scandal that led to her eventual downfall.}

What was once seen as a historical triumph, South Korea’s Park Geun-hye’s political career has now been marred by a corruption scandal that led to her eventual downfall.

Elected the country’s first female president four years ago, Park was removed from office on Friday after the Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment following months of widespread protests with, at times, millions of South Koreans calling for her resignation.

While Park’s presidential fate has now been decided, her career was marked by tragedy, triumph and controversy.

No stranger to politics

Park was no stranger to the political scene. Her father, the late President Park Chung-hee, seized power after a military coup in 1961.

Following the assassination of her mother in 1974, Park served as her father’s de facto first lady.

The elder Park, who was killed by his security chief in 1979, won wide respect for transforming the poor war-ravaged nation into an economic powerhouse, but was also reviled in some quarters for his human rights abuses.

Still, many older South Koreans remembered the almost two-decade dictator’s rule with fondness and younger Park partly rode on the coattail of her father to eventually launch her own political career.

{{Rise to power}}

After the murder of her father, Park withdrew from public service until 1998 when she was first elected to South Korea’s National Assembly, serving five terms as a representative.

She told US media that the Asia economic crisis of the 1990s drew her back into the political sphere.

In 2007, she lost to Lee Myung-bak in the then-Grand National Party presidential primary. Lee went on to become president, but the country’s leaders are restricted to a single five-year term, giving way to Park’s victory in the 2012 presidential election.

{{Park’s fall}}

Park’s downfall began last year after a reports surfaced that alleged she and her former senior secretary and confidante, Choi Soon-sil, colluded to pressure big businesses into paying money to foundations Choi controlled.

Park publicly acknowledged her close ties to Choi, and said the long-time friend helped her on speeches and public relations issues during the 2012 presidential campaign and 2013 inauguration.

Park apologised on several occasions, but denied any wrongdoing .

The reports prompted widespread demonstrations in the country’s capital, with, on some occasions, millions of people protesting in the streets to call for her resignation.

Park was impeached in December of last year by a parliamentary vote of 234 to 56.

In the weeks leading to her eventual removal, Park was also accused of soliciting bribes from the head of the Samsung Group for government favours including the backing of a merger of two Samsung affiliates in 2015. She has denied any wrongdoing.

Source:Al Jazeera

{Malaysia quickly responds by imposing a similar ban on North Koreans as tensions swirls over killing of King Jong-nam.}

North Korea has barred Malaysians from leaving the country, sparking tit-for-tat action by Malaysia, as police investigating the murder of Kim Jong-nam sought to question up to three men hiding in the North Korean embassy.

After Pyongyang announced the move, Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak swiftly called for the immediate release of its citizens, instructing police “to prevent all North Korean citizens in Malaysia from leaving the country until we are assured of the safety and security of all Malaysians in North Korea”.

“This abhorrent act, effectively holding our citizens hostage, is in total disregard of all international law and diplomatic norms,” Najib said in a statement, adding that he had called an emergency meeting of the National Security Council.

The North’s foreign ministry notified the Malaysian embassy in Pyongyang of the reason for the ban and said it had hoped the case would be swiftly and fairly resolved in order to develop bilateral ties with Malaysia, the North’s KCNA news agency reported.

“All Malaysian nationals in the DPRK will be temporarily prohibited from leaving the country until the incident that happened in Malaysia is properly solved,” the official Korea Central News Agency said on Tuesday, citing the foreign ministry.

Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister Reezal Marican told reporters that there were 11 Malaysians in North Korea: Three at the embassy, two UN workers and six family members.

Al Jazeera’s Florence Looi, reporting from Kuala Lumpur, said Marican also said the government will need to check the exact numbers because some Malaysians might be in the country on approved tours or some other business.

“Initially, we were told Malaysian government’s ban only affected the North Korean embassy staff and officials. But through the prime minister’s statement, it’s clear that it extends to all North Koreans in the country.”

Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur had unusually strong links for years, but have been set at loggerheads following the assassination of King Jong-nam by two women using VX nerve agent.

Seoul has blamed Pyongyang for the assassination and Kuala Lumpur has sought several North Koreans for questioning, although the only one it arrested was released for lack of evidence.

According to KCNA, Pyongyang’s foreign ministry expressed hopes that the Malaysian government would solve the issue in a “fair and timely manner based on goodwill”.

The North has yet to confirm the dead man’s identity, but has denounced the Malaysian investigation as an attempt to smear it.

Malaysia expelled the North’s ambassador as diplomatic tensions soared, and Pyongyang retaliated late Monday by formally ordering out his counterpart – who had already been recalled for consultations.

Malaysian diplomats and nationals in the North would be allowed to “conduct business and live normally” while the travel ban is in place, it added.

Earlier, Malaysia decided to cancel visa-free entry for North Koreans entering the country. North Koreans are now required to obtain a visa as of March 6 before entering Malaysia for national security reasons, state news agency Bernama reported on Thursday, citing the deputy prime minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Source:Al Jazeera

{Police open fire after supporters and opponents of upcoming local election clash, leaving at least four people dead.}

At least four protesters have been killed and four others injured in Nepal after security forces opened fire at a political rally, according to police.

Thousands of officers were deployed on Monday to the southeastern town of Rajbiraj, where the Unified Marxist and Leninist party had organised a get-out-the-vote rally before local elections set for May 14.

Members of the Madhesi ethnic community, who oppose the upcoming polls, held a counter-protest. The police opened fire at the protesters when they began hurling stones at the leftists.

An 18-year-old man died at a local hospital, while three others died at another hospital in Dharan, a town about 80km east, said Sarbendra Khanal, a spokesman for Nepal Police.

“The area is still tense. Protesters have set at least four vehicles on fire and have obstructed the highway,” Khanal said, adding that about 40 security forces were injured in the clashes.

Khanal said that the leaders of the party that organised Monday’s rally were escorted back to their homes in the east of the country.

Thousands of officers were deployed on Monday in Rajbiraj [Shreedhar Poudel/AFP]
The opposition party has been critical of the protesters’ demand seeking greater rights.

Nepal’s coalition government announced last month that polls would be held on May 14 for more than 700 local bodies, the first local elections in 20 years.

The government’s move has met fierce opposition from the Madhesis, who protested by shutting down the southern region bordering India for a day.

The polls were delayed for years because of civil war and political infighting, but the protesters have refused to participate in the elections and are demanding amendments to the country’s new constitution.

The Madhesis say the constitution discriminates against them by limiting their representation in state institutions.

They have long called for the redrawing of provincial boundaries to ensure greater representation for their community.

Source:Al Jazeera

{Group led by Republican congressman learns ‘first hand’ what controversial move decried by Palestinians would mean.}

A US delegation is in Israel exploring the possibility of relocating the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that Palestinian officials have strongly warned against.

The delegation is led by Ron DeSantis, a Republican congressman, who is expected to meet Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, during the two-day trip which ends on Sunday.

“The delegation is in Jerusalem to learn first hand what it will mean to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” said Ruth Lieberman, a friend of DeSantis and a political adviser in Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post.

US President Donald Trump repeatedly promised the move during his election campaign and pledged to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

Palestinians criticised such promises as they hope to make East Jerusalem the capital of their future state, and have had the broad support of the international community for that aspiration.

Those who have cautioned the US against such a move include Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas and Nabil Shaath, former Palestinian foreign minister.

Shaath in February told Al Jazeera: “Moving the embassy is the same as recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s united capital. It’s a war crime.”

The US has two consulate-general buildings in West Jerusalem.

One mainly deals with diplomacy with Palestinians, while another building issues visas to people who live in Jerusalem and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

“If the US were to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem … it would be effectively recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” said Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith, reporting from West Jerusalem.

“It would also be taking away from the Palestinians the separate recognition that these consulate general offices give them.”

However, Trump’s administration – like those of other US presidents such as Bill Clinton and George Bush who made similar promises – has “been rolling back on the idea[s] … despite initial promises made during the campaign”, he said.

READ MORE: Trump’s embassy move to Jerusalem ‘self-destructive’

According to some reports in Arab news media, Palestinian officials have been informed that the move is not likely to happen.

“This is after advice from Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who suggested it would cause violence on the Arab streets,” said our correspondent.

Other reports in Israeli news media suggest that David Friedman, the incoming US ambassador to Israel, might work out of an office in West Jerusalem as a compromise, while the embassy building would remain in Tel Aviv.

Friedman is known to be a supporter of Israel’s illegal Jewish-only settlements.

“That also, though, would be controversial,” Al Jazeera’s Smith said.

Source:Al Jazeera