The vote comes just two days before Wednesday's election.

'The motion on appointing an independent counsel has been passed,' a parliamentary official said. He said members of Mr Lee's Grand National Party boycotted the vote.

Officials said 160 legislators voted for the measure with none against.

State prosecutors on Dec 5 cleared Mr Lee of involvement in a major 2001 fraud allegedly engineered by his former business partner and linked to the BBK investment firm.

But members of the pro-government liberal United New Democratic Party had been pushing for an independent counsel to investigate, accusing prosecutors of bias.

Pressure to reopen the probe grew on Sunday with the release of a video clip recorded in 2000, in which Mr Lee appears to say he founded BBK. He had previously denied involvement in the firm. -- AFP