DPK Proposes Constitutional Amendment to Dissolve Election Commission... Standing Chairperson and Audit by Board of Audit and Inspection
Democratic Party Reform Task Force Unveils Election Commission Overhaul Plan
Stronger External Oversight and Secretary-General Confirmation Hearing Proposed
The Democratic Party of Korea has announced plans to reform the National Election Commission (NEC) in response to the unprecedented shortage of ballot papers during the June 3 local elections. The proposed reforms include the dismantling of the NEC, making the position of NEC chairperson a full-time role, expanding the number of standing commissioners, and introducing a confirmation hearing for the NEC Secretary-General.
Song Ki-heon, head of the Democratic Party's "Task Force for NEC Reform to Protect the People’s Suffrage," stated on the 26th, "We will dismantle the NEC through a constitutional amendment."
Song further explained, "We will change the name of the NEC and the composition of its commissioners so the NEC can become a constitutional body that broadly guarantees citizens’ suffrage." He added, "We will promote an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection to secure transparency across the NEC's finances and operations, which have effectively been off-limits to oversight until now."
Song stated, "We will immediately legislate stronger external controls and audits," indicating that NEC reforms would proceed even before any constitutional amendment. He said, "We will make the audit committee an independent, collegial decision-making body by law and require that audit results be reported to the National Assembly." He also announced plans to establish a new election management evaluation body to analyze the entire election management process after each election, and to mandate the NEC to produce an election management white paper for submission to the National Assembly.
He continued, "To fundamentally innovate the current system where all election-related work has been delegated to the secretariat, we will make the NEC chairperson a full-time role and expand the number of standing commissioners from one to three." He explained, "By assigning responsibility for election and voting management, investigation and enforcement, and organizational operations to each standing commissioner, we aim to ensure that internal management and oversight functions operate effectively."
The Democratic Party is also considering introducing a confirmation hearing for the NEC Secretary-General. Song pointed out, "While the Secretary-General has actually overseen and supervised all aspects of election administration, instead of the part-time chairperson, the Secretary-General has been appointed without any national verification process."
Song emphasized, "The Democratic Party will continue to pursue concrete legislation through future discussions in the National Assembly and expert forums."
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