The Democratic Party announced on June 26 its intention to subject the Election Commission to audits by the Board of Audit and Inspection. The party also hinted at a potential name change for the commission, which could be as significant as a complete overhaul. However, it clarified that reports suggesting a complete abolition of early voting, proposed by the commission's union, were misrepresented.
After the sixth meeting of the Election Commission Reform Task Force, Song Gi-heon, a member of the National Assembly, told reporters, "We will push for audits by the Board of Audit and Inspection to ensure transparency in the commission's financial operations."
He added, "Current laws need to be amended to change the constitutional provisions regarding the Board of Audit and Inspection, and its authority should be transferred to the National Assembly to ensure its independence."
The Democratic Party also expressed its desire to dismantle the Election Commission and change its name. Park Sang-hyuk, another lawmaker, stated, "The current Election Commission has become a target of public distrust. We need to fundamentally dismantle it and promote measures to protect citizens' voting rights. A constitutional amendment may be necessary to create a new name that resonates with the public."
Additionally, the party proposed to make the commission's chair a permanent position and to expand the number of standing commissioners from one to three, assigning specific responsibilities for election voting, management investigations, and organizational operations to enhance accountability. They also indicated plans to introduce a confirmation hearing for the commission's secretary-general.
In response to public distrust regarding allegations of preferential hiring within the commission, lawmaker Park Hee-seung explained, "The opposition party claims there were irregular hires, but strictly speaking, they were former officials. The commission is not a licensing agency and does not attract many applicants. Therefore, it has often had to request former public servants, leading to acquaintances, relatives, and children of those officials being hired."
Regarding recent reports that the commission's union proposed the complete abolition of early voting, Park Sang-hyuk clarified, "There has been some misunderstanding. The intention was to suggest extending the main voting period to two days, assuming early voting remains in place."
Meanwhile, the task force expressed the need for a joint investigation by law enforcement regarding the recent shortage of ballots and suggested that a special prosecutor be appointed if necessary.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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