Political Parties Call for National Investigation into Ballot Shortage

In an unprecedented situation during the June 3 local elections, some voters were forced to abandon their ballots due to a shortage of voting materials. Both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party have announced plans to submit requests for a national investigation. Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, further called for a re-election and the abolition of early voting.

On the morning of June 7, Jang held a press conference at the National Assembly, urging the Democratic Party to "immediately form a special committee for the national investigation and expedite the establishment of a special prosecutor's office." He emphasized that the National Assembly must fulfill its duty to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable.

The People Power Party plans to prepare a national investigation request to submit to the National Assembly on June 8. The ruling Democratic Party is also expected to initiate related procedures on the same day. Currently, both parties are preparing separate requests, indicating that negotiations will be necessary to consolidate them into a single proposal.

Han Byeong-do, the Democratic Party's floor leader, stated during a press briefing that "we need to clarify why this incident occurred and whether there are issues within the internal systems of the National Election Commission." He pledged to thoroughly investigate the situation through a swift national inquiry and expressed readiness to negotiate with the People Power Party immediately.

Both parties agreed on the necessity of reforming the National Election Commission. Although it operates as an independent body, they acknowledged that external oversight is needed if internal checks are ineffective.

The Democratic Party plans to secure measures for improving and overseeing the Election Commission, potentially through a special prosecutor or constitutional amendments, if necessary.

Han noted, "As problems continue to arise, allegations of election fraud gain traction," and he vowed to address the root causes. He indicated plans for a comprehensive review of the Public Election Act and to ensure that principles of oversight and accountability are effectively applied to the Election Commission.

However, the People Power Party views the national investigation and special prosecutor as merely "minimum measures." They argue that improvements to the election laws and a re-election are also necessary.

During the press conference, Jang pointed out, "The public wants a re-election, and if we try to gloss over this with a national investigation or a special prosecutor recommended by the ruling party, we cannot quell the rising anger of the people."

He added, "We must abolish early voting, which half of the public distrusts. Instead of dismissing this as a claim from election fraud proponents, we should eliminate the roots of such claims. I cannot understand why there is such a strong insistence on maintaining early voting."