New Year's Address by the Chairman of the National Election Commission
No Tae-ak, Chairman of the National Election Commission, said on the 1st, "Our country has experienced various political and economic crises over the years, and each time, our people have overcome them with mature civic consciousness," adding, "I believe we can also wisely and resolutely overcome the current difficulties."
In his New Year's address that day, Chairman No expressed concern, saying, "The current political situation in our country is so uncertain and chaotic that we cannot foresee even an inch ahead," and "Conflicts and confrontations between factions are intensifying day by day." He continued, "Let us once again consider that the foundation of democracy lies in tolerance and understanding toward those with differing opinions, as well as restraint in exercising rights without losing prudence."
He stated, "Democracy is not something that is completed in a fixed form at a certain point in time but is a continuous process that develops in response to national demands according to the times and social changes," and "The wisdom and courage given by the people will be a great force to advance our democracy one step further."
Chairman No also declared, "The National Election Commission will, without change, fulfill its constitutional duty of ‘fair election management’ throughout this year as well, and will do its utmost to realize the true value of elections, which are the foundation of democracy, and to achieve social integration."
Last month on the 3rd, the Election Commission experienced an unprecedented situation where martial law troops entered in relation to the emergency martial law incident. Regarding this, Chairman No explained, "Our commission could not help but feel surprise and shock at the fact that the reason was related to allegations of election fraud," and "There are various institutional devices that guarantee fairness and security in all elections, and the process is transparently disclosed not only to election officials but also to the public, so there is absolutely no possibility of organized fraud as some have claimed." He added, "The incident of occupying the National Election Commission’s office building, an independent constitutional institution established for fair election management, is unconstitutional and illegal, and is a serious matter threatening democracy," urging, "The relevant authorities must promptly uncover the truth and there must be clear and definite legal measures accordingly."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
