The Democratic Party of Korea on July 9 proposed a reform bill for the National Election Commission (NEC), which includes expanding the number of full-time commissioners and introducing a parliamentary confirmation system. This marks a significant step in their efforts to overhaul the NEC. Additionally, the party announced plans to introduce a special prosecutor bill to investigate the 'ballot shortage' incident that occurred during the June 3 local elections, intensifying pressure on the NEC.
The 'Task Force for Protecting Citizens' Voting Rights,' responsible for NEC reform within the Democratic Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly on the afternoon of July 9 to unveil the legislative proposals aimed at enhancing voting rights protection and accountability in election management.
First, the task force proposed transitioning the current part-time system of the NEC chairperson to a full-time system, stating, "We will improve the current part-time system, which has been criticized as merely a rubber stamp, to ensure that major NEC affairs are handled through decision-making and that the secretariat is effectively managed and supervised."
Furthermore, the task force announced plans to expand the current single full-time commissioner to three, each responsible for election management, investigation and enforcement, and organizational operations.
Song Gi-hun, the task force chair, stated, "We will fundamentally innovate the decision-making structure concentrated in the full-time commissioner and secretary-general, transforming it into a practical and ongoing consensus-based institution led by the chair and three full-time commissioners, allowing part-time commissioners to fulfill their roles effectively."
The task force also revealed plans to appoint the NEC secretary-general from outside the organization and to introduce a parliamentary confirmation system for this position. Song added, "To eliminate bureaucratic practices within the secretariat and address issues of moral hazard, we will appoint external personnel and publicly verify their expertise and integrity through the parliamentary confirmation process."
Finally, the task force proposed establishing an independent audit committee within the NEC to create a robust auditing system, stating, "All members of the audit committee will be external personnel. We will also set up an election management evaluation committee within the audit committee to objectively analyze and assess overall election management after elections."
They also indicated plans to amend the National Assembly Act and the Confirmation Hearing Act to ensure the effective operation of the confirmation system, stating, "We will include the NEC secretary-general in the list of positions subject to confirmation in the National Assembly Act and refine related procedures in the Confirmation Hearing Act to ensure the system operates effectively."
In addition, Chun Jun-ho, the party's deputy floor leader, announced during a policy coordination meeting that the Democratic Party would introduce the special prosecutor bill for the NEC, stating, "Third-party recommendations are the most reasonable solution. We urge the People Power Party to return to the National Assembly immediately and cooperate in processing the special prosecutor bill."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.