Democrats Propose NEC Reforms, Including Full-Time Chair and Confirmation Hearings

South Korea's Democratic Party has introduced a package of three reform bills aimed at overhauling the National Election Commission (NEC), seeking to bolster its transparency and accountability. The proposed legislation addresses long-standing criticisms regarding the commission's operational structure and appointment processes.

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We have prepared the NEC Reform 3 Acts (NEC Act, National Assembly Act, Act on Parliamentary Confirmation Hearings) to actively respond to incidents that infringe upon the people's right to participate in elections.

Central to the proposed reforms is the elevation of the NEC chairperson's role from a part-time to a full-time position. This change aims to shift the commission's focus from primarily receiving reports to making substantive decisions, thereby enabling more effective management and supervision of the NEC's secretariat. Additionally, the party plans to increase the number of standing members on the commission from one to three and establish an audit committee composed entirely of external members to prevent inadequate audits.

Furthermore, the Democratic Party's proposed amendments to the National Assembly Act and the Act on Parliamentary Confirmation Hearings would mandate that the NEC Secretary-General be appointed from outside the commission. Crucially, candidates for this position would be required to undergo parliamentary confirmation hearings, a process designed to ensure greater scrutiny and public accountability.

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We will improve the part-time system, which has been criticized as merely a 'rubber stamp,' to process major NEC affairs from 'reporting' to 'decision-making' and create a system for substantial management and supervision of the secretariat.

In parallel, the party has also put forth a special prosecutor bill to investigate the recent shortage of election ballots during the June local elections. A significant aspect of this bill is the proposal for a third party, rather than political parties, to recommend candidates for the special prosecutor. This move aims to ensure impartiality in the investigation, contrasting with a rival bill proposed by the People Power Party that would allow them to recommend two candidates.

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The core of the special prosecutor is fairness. While traditionally, the ruling and opposition parties, and the Korean Bar Association, recommend candidates, we believe political parties should be excluded from recommending candidates for an investigation into election management.