Election Officials Bemoan Pressure to Excuse Faults

Being an election watchdog is tough work, according to Representative Won You-chul of the Millennium Democratic Party.

Mr. You said two-thirds of the National Election Commission officials he surveyed in 121 cities and counties around the country complained of pressure to overlook campaign irregularities committed by local government officials. Perhaps that is not surprising, because election commission offices are housed in local government buildings and the commission gets manpower help from local governments.

One election official in South Kyongsang province, an opposition stronghold, told Mr. You, "I found one local government head running several illegal private schools. Although I was supposed to fire him, I couldn't, because our people are using his office building. The man still holds his position."

Another official in North Chungchong province, home base of the United Liberal Democrats, complained that local authorities tried to block his car from leaving a government office parking lot. In North Cholla province, the president's stronghold, one election director told Mr. You he had detected violations of election law by the wife of a local government head. But, he added, he promised to close his eyes to the illegal activities when three senior local government officials pleaded with him to do so.

An official in South Kyongsang province asked plaintively, "How can we take measures against local government heads when high officials come to us immediately after we accuse their bosses?"

by Kang Min-Seok