Democratic Party's Public Administration Committee Members Call 'No Jeong-hee Resignation' Demand an Attempt to Paralyze the Election Commission

No Jeong-hee, Chairperson of the National Election Commission, is delivering a statement at the Central Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 8th, one day before the main voting day of the 20th presidential election.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Members of the Democratic Party of Korea on the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee have claimed that the calls for the resignation of No Jeong-hee, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission, are "an attempt to paralyze the Election Commission's operations."

On the 19th, the Democratic Party's Public Administration and Security Committee members stated in a press release, "With the June 1 local elections just 75 days away, there are currently two vacant seats among the Central Election Commission commissioners."

The committee members added, "If Chairperson No resigns, there will be an issue where a temporary commissioner, verified only as a general member, would represent the Central Election Commission, raising concerns about accountability. Additionally, with only six commissioners remaining, the commission's meetings may be unable to convene or make decisions, potentially causing significant disruptions to preparations for the local elections."

Given that two of the nine commissioner seats are vacant and former Secretary-General Kim Se-hwan resigned over responsibility for poor management of early voting, the resignation of Chairperson No would further complicate preparations for the local elections.

The committee members particularly targeted the People Power Party and others advocating for Chairperson No's resignation. They pointed out, "Political neutrality is the lifeblood of the Election Commission, but there are currently attempts to undermine this neutrality," and criticized, "The entire Election Commission is being shaken, including calls for the chairperson's resignation."

They urged, "Chairperson No should clearly identify the causes and responsibilities for the poor management of early voting and swiftly reorganize the Election Commission to ensure thorough preparation for the local elections."

Furthermore, they stated, "The Election Commission must take this matter seriously, use it as an opportunity for self-renewal, and restore public trust," and called on the commission to "responsibly carry out the promised 'rapid organizational stabilization and perfect management measures for the local elections' in a way that the public can accept."

Earlier, on the 17th, the Election Commission announced internal measures including ▲ operating under an acting Deputy Secretary-General system and replacing the Director of Election Policy and the Director of the Election Bureau ▲ forming a task force (TF) to investigate the early voting incident and establish measures to prevent recurrence ▲ and conducting a special inspection into allegations of preferential treatment involving the son of former Secretary-General Kim.

Chairperson No has faced pressure to resign over the poor management of early voting for COVID-19 confirmed and quarantined voters during the recent presidential election but has expressed refusal to step down, stating, "I will prepare for the upcoming local elections without wavering."