"Connection Between Accused Official and Candidate Lee Hye-hoon Not Proven"
"Decisions Will Be Made Based on Objective Evidence or If Illegality Is Revealed"
The People Power Party's Nomination Management Committee (NMC) dismissed Ha Tae-kyung's objection to the primary election results. The reason was that no cases of double voting were confirmed and no concrete evidence was found.
On the 15th, Jung Young-hwan, chairman of the People Power Party's NMC, said at the central party office in Yeouido, "Our party's primary election, according to Article 99 of the party constitution regarding opinion poll exceptions, cannot be influenced by false answers about gender or age," adding, "We have decided to dismiss Ha's objection." He also added, "We investigated suspicions that some respondents disguised themselves as non-party members in the general voter survey to commit double voting, but no cases of double voting were confirmed."
Former lawmaker Lee Hye-hoon was confirmed as the final People Power Party candidate for Seoul Jung-Seongdong district after winning the primary results announced on the 12th. Subsequently, it was revealed that messages encouraging respondents to lie about their age to participate in the opinion poll were posted in a messenger group chat presumed to be a support group for candidate Lee. In response, Ha filed an objection with the party's NMC on the 13th, alleging that Lee's side instructed and induced false answers regarding gender and age during the district primary opinion poll process.
Chairman Jung explained regarding the Seoul Metropolitan Election Poll Deliberation Committee's report filed the previous day to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency accusing six people affiliated with candidate Lee of violating the Public Official Election Act, "No evidence was found to prove the connection between the (accused) individuals and candidate Lee."
Jang Dong-hyuk, secretary-general of the People Power Party, also said, "It is difficult to conclude that double voting occurred based solely on what has been revealed so far," adding, "There is a scope within which the Clean Nomination Support Team can objectively verify." He further explained, "Based on the objective data assessed so far, this decision was made today. If other objective data emerges or if any illegality related to candidate Lee is revealed, decisions will be made accordingly."
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