By Bernama
Seoul : President Lee Myung- bak Tuesday declared his government’s determination to maintain neutrality through the general election campaign and to crack down on violations of the election law and the use of vicious smear tactics.
“Campaigning for the general elections is about to kick off, as the public face worsening livelihoods. Government ministries and agencies must steer clear of any suspicious acts that might cause controversy over the government’s election neutrality,” Yonhap news agency quoted Lee, as saying at a weekly Cabinet meeting.
“The government has to stand thoroughly neutral, as far as the general elections are concerned. I’ll ensure that the elections will be managed in the fairest manner possible. Intentional and malicious slandering must be thoroughly investigated to help change the nation’s election culture,” said Lee.
Lee’s remarks came as the registration for the April 9 general elections began in 245 electoral districts across the country earlier on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the president again issued a stern warning about moral hazard among civil servants, accusing them of intentionally seeking to resist his campaign to streamline government organizations and stem wasteful budget expenditure.
“I heard through media reports that some ministries subject to organizational downsizing threw away heaps of brand-new office furniture onto the streets, while others have established a number of unnecessary task force teams to absorb idle officials who lost positions as a result of reorganizational reforms,” said Lee.
The president then instructed that all ‘displaced’ government officials be forcibly enrolled in civil servant reeducation programs.