South Korean PM urges speedy, rigorous probe into ballot shortage
Seoul, June 11
South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Thursday called for a speedy and rigorous investigation into ballot shortages reported during last week's local elections.
During a meeting with officials from the interior, justice, education and culture ministries, as well as the National Police Agency and the prosecution, Kim said bipartisan cooperation is needed to investigate the ballot shortage to solidify democracy, Yonhap News Agency reported.
His remarks came as the National Assembly launched formal procedures for a potential parliamentary investigation into ballot shortages earlier in the day.
The ballot shortage at more than a dozen polling stations in Seoul during the June 3 elections has sparked outrage and protests calling for the protection of voting rights.
Protesters continued to rally outside a vote-counting facility in Seoul for the seventh day Thursday, demanding a rerun of local elections over the ballot shortage row.
Tens of thousands of people had amassed over the weekend to protest the ballot shortages and block election officials from removing ballot boxes.
Meanwhile, South Korea's National Assembly on Thursday launched formal procedures for a potential parliamentary investigation into ballot shortages reported during last week's local elections, with requests for the probe submitted by both the ruling and opposition parties being reported to a plenary session.
The head of the Proceedings Division of the National Assembly Secretariat said that the requests for a parliamentary probe were submitted separately by the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), with all lawmakers from each party sponsoring their respective requests.
The move marks the first step toward establishing a special parliamentary committee to examine allegations of mismanagement by the National Election Commission during the voting process.
The establishment of the committee is expected to undergo negotiations, as proposals from the DP and the PPP differed over the scope of the probe and the number of seats to be allotted to each party on the committee.
The PPP has argued that a separate special counsel probe should be launched alongside the parliamentary investigation, while the DP has maintained that such a move should be considered after the parliamentary probe.
In a meeting chaired by National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik, the rival parties shared a consensus on holding a plenary session as early as next week to adopt a plan for the parliamentary probe, according to officials.
Separately, the PPP's new floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig met with Hong Ik-pyo, presidential secretary for political affairs, and stressed the need for a special counsel probe into the incident.
Hong said the presidential office would be open to the idea of a special counsel investigation if the rival parties reach an agreement, according to PPP spokesperson Choi Soo-jin.
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's really shocking that such a developed country faced this kind of administrative failure. Even our Election Commission manages better in India! But I appreciate that both parties are pushing for probe and rerun. That's how democracy should work - accountability. PM Kim's call for bipartisan cooperation is wise.
The protesters have been rallying for 7 days now - that's the spirit of democracy! Reminds me of our own protests for EVM verification sometimes. But honestly, the National Election Commission should have anticipated this. A special counsel probe is needed to ensure this never happens again. South Korea must uphold its democratic credentials.
Ballot shortages at 12 polling stations in Seoul is very serious. But I'm concerned about the political bickering over the scope of investigation. In India too, parties often fight over committee compositions instead of focusing on the real issue. Hope they agree quickly on a joint probe. The people's trust in elections is at stake.
As someone who's followed Korean politics for years, this is a shocking failure. Their election system was considered gold standard. But I'm glad both parties are cooperating to find truth. The PPP's demand for special counsel is reasonable considering the scale of outrage. India can learn from this transparency in handling election disputes.
This is a wake-up call for all democracies. Even advanced systems can fail when complacency sets in. The way citizens are protesting peacefully for voting rights is inspiring. Hope South Korea's government takes this seriously and implements reforms. Democracy is only as strong as the institutions that protect it.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.