NEC in post-election turmoil
National Election Commission (NEC) chairperson Noh Jeong-hee, center, enters the NEC headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Yonhap
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The March 9 presidential election is over, with the conservative opposition People Power Party's candidate Yoon Suk-yeol securing victory with a narrow margin over his ruling party rival, Lee Jae-myung. But the election agency is still reeling from attacks over mistakes it made in handling the ballots of COVID-19 patients and quarantined voters during the early voting period.
Criticism has been mounting both within and outside the agency.
In presidential petitions uploaded on Sunday, several people called for punishment or an investigation of the National Election Commission (NEC) for its mishandling of ballots. One petitioner in Daegu's Dong District blamed the NEC for mismanagement and insinuated ballot fraud, due to its flawed management of election procedures. According to the petitioner, two voters cast their ballots twice, first in the early voting period and second on Election Day, claiming that the NEC is responsible because it failed to identify the two individuals. As of Sunday afternoon, over 220,000 people have signed the petition.
Another petitioner urged President Moon Jae-in to dismiss NEC Chairperson Noh Jeong-hee to hold her responsible. Earlier last week, Noh resisted pressure to resign and vowed to do better in handling election affairs for the June local elections.
The main opposition People Power Party continues to push Noh to step down to take responsibility for the mishandling of early voting ballots of COVID-19 patients and those in self-quarantine on March 5. A group of standing commissioners of the NEC and municipal election commissions released a joint statement last week demanding Noh's resignation, but the statement then drew a backlash from within the election agency itself.
The NEC has internally been in turmoil since the release of the joint statement.
According to Yonhap News, messages criticizing the 15 standing commissioners who demanded that Noh step down were posted on an internal anonymous online bulletin board for NEC staff after the statement was issued last Tuesday.
The messages pointed out that since the standing commissioners are experienced in election issues, they themselves should also be responsible for the mishandling, instead of causing the NEC grief with their political motives.
However, they were also divided on Noh remaining in office, with some saying that she would prepare for the local elections well.
Some say that Noh has been a Supreme Court justice and the part-time chair of the NEC, so was not familiar enough with election procedure details when the NEC secretariat was preparing voting them for COVID-19 patients. Others say that Noh should take responsibility as the head of the election agency because of the significance of the issue, which tainted the reputation of the NEC and the fairness of the election.
If the controversy persists, it could affect the upcoming local elections on June 1, which are only some 70 days away.
Currently, two out of the nine commissioner posts are vacant, and NEC Secretary General Kim Se-hwan also stepped down last week amid allegations that he used his influence to get his son a job and promotion at the Incheon Election Commission. If Noh also resigns, it would be difficult to name the new chair among Supreme Court justices in time for the June election.
The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has rejected the demands for Noh to resign. Her resignation would paralyze the election agency ahead of the local elections.
The DPK members of the Public Administration and Security Committee issued a statement Friday that it will be impossible for the six remaining NEC commissioners to discuss and decide if Noh resigns. The lawmakers also urged the NEC to stabilize the organization as soon as possible and come up with acceptable measures for administering the upcoming local election.
The NEC reshuffled the chief election policy officer and election department head on Thursday, and plans to form a taskforce including external members to investigate the early voting issues and find solutions.