Ruling party pressures election commission over ballot shortage, cronyism allegations

South Korea's ruling People Power Party is escalating its pressure campaign against the National Election Commission (NEC) in the wake of a ballot shortage scandal during the recent local elections. The party is pushing for significant reforms within the election body, signaling a determined effort to address the fallout from the incident.

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If the acting standing committee member does not decide on his position by July 1, we will consider proposing an impeachment motion, even if it is solely by the People Power Party.

A key demand from the People Power Party is the resignation of the NEC's acting chairman, Wi Cheol-hwan. The party has stated that if Wi does not decide on his future by July 1, they will consider initiating an impeachment process. This strong stance reflects the party's dissatisfaction with the current leadership's handling of the crisis and their perceived lack of accountability.

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We must introduce a special prosecutor recommended by the opposition party... focus on uncovering the truth and improving the system.

Beyond personnel changes, the People Power Party has also requested a formal investigation into alleged cronyism within the NEC's procurement practices. Specifically, they are concerned about a high proportion of sole-source contracts, with reports indicating that 87.7% of contracts were awarded without competitive bidding. The party has pointed to instances of contract splitting and alleged ties between contract recipients and figures associated with the opposition Democratic Party, demanding a thorough probe into these matters.

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The normal level has been exceeded. 87.7% of the total contracts are sole-source contracts.

The ruling party is also advocating for a review of the early voting system, with some members proposing its abolition and an extension of the main voting period. They express skepticism towards the Democratic Party's calls for constitutional amendments related to the NEC, emphasizing that the immediate focus should be on uncovering the truth behind the ballot shortage and implementing practical improvements to prevent recurrence.

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The Democratic Party should stop talking about constitutional amendments and focus on uncovering the truth and improving the system.