TV debates meant to help voters vet candidates have all but disappeared during the June 3 local elections, observers say.
According to political circles on Tuesday, the TV debate for the Seoul mayoral election was held at 11 p.m. on the 28th, the day before early voting began. Although it is the most closely watched race, with nearly 8 million voters, residents were able to see candidates mutually scrutinize their respective policies only once, and barely so, in the dead of night. The Gyeonggi Province governor election, in which about 12 million voters cast ballots, held its debate on the 27th, while Busan Buk-A — which has emerged as the most closely watched race in the by-elections — held one on the 28th as well, each only once.
Under the Public Official Election Act, local elections and National Assembly elections require holding only at least one debate hosted by the National Election Commission. Even if other candidates request additional debates, a candidate may attend only the mandatory debate and decline the rest. A political insider said, "The legal provisions on debates should be improved for voters' right to know."
