Seoul 30 Nov (ANA) - South Korean opposition parties vowed on Wednesday to push ahead to try to impeach President Park Geun-hye amid a growing influence-peddling scandal, rejecting her offer to resign, and called on members of her Saenuri Party to join them. In a dramatic move that shifted the burden of resolving the crisis engulfing her presidency, Park asked parliament on Tuesday to decide how and when she should quit, which opposition lawmakers dismissed as a ploy to buy time and avoid impeachment. The leaders of the three opposition parties, which together hold 165 of the single-chamber parliament's 300 seats and can initiate an impeachment motion, said they would not negotiate with Park's party on her proposal to step down. "The only way left to go is impeachment under the constitution," the head of the Democratic Party, Choo Mi-ae, said at a meeting with the leaders of two other opposition parties. The leader of the opposition People's Party, Park Jie-won, said a motion would be put to a vote on Friday, or on Friday week if necessary. "Impeachment is the only way," he said. Park, who has immunity from prosecution in the case as long as she remains in office, is alleged by prosecutors to have colluded with a friend, Choi Soon-sil, to enable her to wield improper influence in government affairs and in fundraising by two foundations set up to back Park's initiatives. She has denied wrongdoing but acknowledged carelessness in her ties with Choi. Park appointed a special prosecutor who will take over the probe by state prosecutors that was widening to include former government officials and conglomerate heads and also tried to question the president herself. Park has said she would cooperate with the work of the special prosecutor, whom she appointed from two candidates nominated by the opposition under a bill passed two weeks ago.(ANA)

FA/ANA/30 November 2016-----