Myungkoo Kang Proposes Bill to Consolidate Central and City/Provincial Election Commissions: "Strengthening Responsibility and Authority"

"Reorganizing the Dispersed Structure to Strengthen Election Management Capabilities"

Myungkoo Kang, a member of the People Power Party, on the 23rd sponsored a partial amendment to the Election Commission Act, which aims to reorganize the election management functions of the National Election Commission, strengthening the responsibilities and authority by focusing them on the Central and Provincial Election Commissions.

Myungkoo Kang, member of the People Power Party. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On this day, Assemblyman Kang held a press conference at the National Assembly's Communication Hall, announcing that he had proposed an amendment to the Election Commission Act that would abolish the District, City, and County Election Commissions, as well as the Town, Township, and Neighborhood Election Commissions, thereby consolidating election management functions at the Central and Provincial levels.

Assemblyman Kang stated, "The status of the Election Commission as a constitutionally independent body has, at some point, become a shield for incompetence and irresponsibility." He continued, "One fundamental cause is the organizational structure in which responsibility is dispersed." He pointed out, "With a multi-layered structure stretching from the Central Commission to provincial, district, city, county, town, township, and neighborhood levels, it is unclear who is accountable when an incident occurs."

Kang also commented, "On the day of the June 3 local elections, when the opposition party leader visited the Central Election Commission to protest and demanded a halt to the vote counting, the Central Commission shifted responsibility by responding, 'It is under the jurisdiction of the Seoul Election Commission.'" He emphasized, "This division of authority and disappearance of responsibility is the fundamental cause of this incident."

He explained, "Through this amendment, the scattered organization should be restructured to concentrate election management capabilities, and a system must be established in which authority and responsibility are clearly defined." He added, "A structure where the public can clearly see who is accountable for any wrongdoing will be the starting point for restoring trust."

He further stated, "This amendment is the starting point for structural reform of the Election Commission," adding, "Until the day when every single vote from the people is fully protected and the public can once again trust the election management system, I will do my utmost to push forward with the reform of the Election Commission."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.