"Scope of investigation to include how the shortage occurred, decision to reduce print volumes, budget execution and possible cover-up"
Rep. Baek Hye-ryeon of the Democratic Party of Korea (Suwon-eul, Gyeonggi Province) said Monday she had introduced a special prosecutor bill calling for the appointment of an independent special prosecutor to investigate the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections. The bill is formally titled the "Act on the Appointment of a Special Prosecutor for the Investigation of the Truth behind the Ballot Shortage and Election Administration Failures in the 9th Nationwide Simultaneous Local Elections."
An unprecedented ballot shortage struck polling stations across the country on election day, according to political circles. Voting was temporarily suspended at 22 polling stations, and in areas including Songpa-gu, Seoul, some voters were unable to cast their ballots before polls closed. Critics say the incident seriously undermined the constitutional right to vote and public confidence in the fairness of the election.
"This incident not only directly infringed on voters' right to political participation, but if the cause and responsibility are not clearly established, it could spread into distrust of the overall election results and unfounded claims of electoral fraud, threatening the foundations of representative democracy," Baek said.
She said she introduced the bill on the grounds that the constitutional gravity and political sensitivity of the matter — combined with its overlapping budget, administrative and criminal dimensions — make ordinary investigative procedures insufficient, and that only an independent and neutral special prosecutor can restore public trust.
The bill specifies the following as subjects of investigation: failures in the ballot preparation process, including the calculation of print volumes and revisions to related standards; responsibility for managing the distribution and transport of ballots to individual polling stations; post-incident handling of ballot boxes at stations that ran short; evasion of command and reporting responsibilities between the National Election Commission and regional election commissions; and allegations of evidence destruction or cover-up related to the above.
Under the bill, the special prosecutor would have a 20-day preparation period after appointment, then complete the investigation and decide whether to indict within 60 days from the day after the preparation period ends, with the option to extend if necessary. To protect the public's right to information, the bill also allows press briefings on the investigative process beyond disclosures of suspect facts, and guarantees the special prosecutor's tenure — barring removal from office unless impeached or sentenced to imprisonment or a heavier penalty.
"An independent investigation is absolutely necessary to clearly establish the cause and responsibility," Baek said. "This special prosecutor goes beyond identifying who is accountable — it is about protecting and restoring public trust in our electoral system."
bigroot@heraldcorp.com
