Han Byung-do, acting head of the Democratic Party of Korea, said the party will submit a special counsel bill on the National Election Commission (NEC) this week. He dismissed the People Power Party's argument that the Democratic Party should be excluded from the special counsel process, saying it was "not worth a moment's consideration."
"The Democratic Party will submit the NEC special counsel bill this week," Han said Thursday on his Facebook page. "As we have consistently stated, the shortage of ballots that infringed on citizens' voting rights is an unprecedented constitutional crisis that cannot be justified by any excuse."
He stressed that a special counsel is needed to determine the facts of the case. "We have decided as a party line to introduce a special counsel to root out the source of this incident," Han said. "A comprehensive investigation is necessary to leave not a single doubt. We will include in the scope of the investigation the circumstances behind the reduction in ballot printing volume, the omission and delay of reports to leadership on election day, and internal corruption and incompetence at the NEC." He added, "Regardless of rank, all those responsible will be brought before the judgment of the law."
He drew a clear line against the People Power Party's argument that the Democratic Party should be excluded from the special counsel process. "Typically, a special counsel is recommended by the ruling party, the opposition, and a third party, and the president appoints one of them," Han said. "The People Power Party's argument is strategic agitation not worth a moment's consideration and utter nonsense."
He continued, "On the other hand, I suspect the People Power Party's unreasonable argument may be an obstruction tactic to turn this incident into a partisan dispute while ignoring the fact-finding." Han said, "There is no room for partisan disputes in the NEC special counsel. If it is a special counsel that excludes political advantages and disadvantages, a third-party recommendation from bodies such as the Korean Bar Association would rather be more realistic and fair, given the special nature of the NEC in terms of independence and neutrality."
