Election agency should reinvent itself as guardian of democracy
The head of the National Election Commission (NEC) resigned Monday over the state election agency's poor management of ballots cast by COVID-19 patients during early voting for the March 9 presidential election. Noh Jeong-hee, chairperson of the NEC, expressed her intention to step down during a meeting with commission members, saying, "I deeply apologize for causing concerns to the public and ask for its cooperation so that local elections can be held flawlessly."
Her resignation came 44 days after the early voting chaos of the presidential election. It's fortunate that Noh resigned, though belatedly, holding herself responsible for early voting lapses, which had left deep scars in the country's democratic history.
It's even shameful to recall what happened during early voting on March 5. COVID-19 patients and people in quarantine were not allowed to put their votes directly into ballot boxes, making them wonder if their ballots were being tallied at all. Election officials instead collected them in plastic bags, cardboard boxes and other unauthorized containers to transfer them to ballot boxes. Noh even drew criticism for not showing up for work on March 5, which fell on a Saturday.
Hours before Noh's resignation on Monday, the NEC acknowledged "overall inadequacy in its predictions, preparations and responses" for early voting and unveiled a set of reform measures, including sending up to 30 percent of its central staffers to the field during important election periods. But it's questionable if these half-baked measures could work to reinvent the NEC.
The NEC is an independent organization under the Constitution and its head is given a privileged status as one of the nation's five important figures to ensure that elections can be managed fairly. Whether to manage an election well is linked directly to whether our hard-won democracy can be safeguarded. Noh's resignation should serve as an occasion for the election agency to establish itself as the guardian of democracy. The NEC should step up to manage the June 1 local elections without any problems.
The head of the National Election Commission (NEC) resigned Monday over the state election agency's poor management of ballots cast by COVID-19 patients during early voting for the March 9 presidential election. Noh Jeong-hee, chairperson of the NEC, expressed her intention to step down during a meeting with commission members, saying, "I deeply apologize for causing concerns to the public and ask for its cooperation so that local elections can be held flawlessly."
Her resignation came 44 days after the early voting chaos of the presidential election. It's fortunate that Noh resigned, though belatedly, holding herself responsible for early voting lapses, which had left deep scars in the country's democratic history.
It's even shameful to recall what happened during early voting on March 5. COVID-19 patients and people in quarantine were not allowed to put their votes directly into ballot boxes, making them wonder if their ballots were being tallied at all. Election officials instead collected them in plastic bags, cardboard boxes and other unauthorized containers to transfer them to ballot boxes. Noh even drew criticism for not showing up for work on March 5, which fell on a Saturday.
Hours before Noh's resignation on Monday, the NEC acknowledged "overall inadequacy in its predictions, preparations and responses" for early voting and unveiled a set of reform measures, including sending up to 30 percent of its central staffers to the field during important election periods. But it's questionable if these half-baked measures could work to reinvent the NEC.
The NEC is an independent organization under the Constitution and its head is given a privileged status as one of the nation's five important figures to ensure that elections can be managed fairly. Whether to manage an election well is linked directly to whether our hard-won democracy can be safeguarded. Noh's resignation should serve as an occasion for the election agency to establish itself as the guardian of democracy. The NEC should step up to manage the June 1 local elections without any problems.
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