Heo Seok Camp Reports to Police and Election Commission Over Party Member List Leak, Double Voting Inducement, and Illegal Member Management by Close Associates
[Suncheon=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] About 700 citizens and Democratic Party members protested at the office of National Assembly member So Byeong-cheol on the 7th, claiming that the allegation of So Byeong-cheol supporting candidate Oh Ha-geun during the Democratic Party Suncheon mayoral primary was confirmed as fact.
They shouted, “The primary was held on a tilted playing field prepared by National Assembly member So Byeong-cheol,” and “Cancel the unfair primary results and So Byeong-cheol must explain the leakage of the party member list.”
They further argued that since there is clear evidence of illegal election activities such as double voting and leakage of the party member list, an immediate re-primary should be held.
It was reported that the leakage of the party member list was confirmed through a reliable informant who provided documents containing party member management numbers, names, resident registration numbers, and mobile phone numbers.
Following the protest, they also sent an open letter titled ‘A Shout to Democratic Party Regional Chairman So Byeong-cheol.’
The letter demands accountability for the leakage of the party member list, unfair primary, and election interference.
Meanwhile, the election office of preliminary candidate Heo Seok for Suncheon mayor announced that they have secured evidence related to the leakage of the Democratic Party member list, inducement of double voting, and illegal party member management by close aides, and have filed a complaint with the Suncheon Police Station and the Suncheon City Election Commission.
The complaint includes materials and details regarding suspicions of leakage of the party member list by a specific Democratic Party candidate’s election official, inducement of double voting in a women’s organization group chat by candidate Oh Ha-geun’s wife, and illegal management of party members by Heo Geun-seok, a provincial council member and close aide of candidate Oh, involving staff at K Daycare Center.
A representative from Heo Seok’s preliminary candidate election headquarters said, “Reports of illegal interference in the primary by citizens continue to come in today as well,” and added, “If the rights of party members to freely choose were violated due to the leakage of the party member list in the rights party member primary, wouldn’t it be proper to hold a re-primary?”
Attention is focused on what decision the Democratic Party’s emergency committee will make regarding these unfair primary allegations.
In the final Democratic Party Suncheon mayoral primary, candidate Oh Ha-geun led in the rights party member vote, while candidate Heo Seok led in the general citizen poll, with a final margin of 50.17% to 49.83%, a difference of 0.34%.
The actual vote difference is predicted to be about 16 votes.
Citizen A said, “A 16-vote difference on a tilted playing field is an enormous victory,” and added, “If we can’t trust the local National Assembly member, how can we trust the polling agencies? The polling agencies themselves need to be investigated.”
Polling agency official B said, “Since the Democratic Party primary poll is not an election poll, the truth can be verified within an hour or two without police investigation if the Democratic Party or the Jeonnam Provincial Party consents.”
Many citizens believe that for the Democratic Party to unite, the allegations arising during the primary process must be promptly and fairly verified and explained.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
