National Election Commission accepts BAI investigation

Politics

National Election Commission accepts BAI investigation

Published: 09 Jun. 2023, 17:40 Updated: 09 Jun. 2023, 18:46

Supreme Court Justice and head of the National Election Commission Rho Tae-ak walks out of the NEC's commissioners meeting held at the agency headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, Friday. [YONHAP]

The controversial election oversight agency on Friday buckled under public pressure and accepted an investigation by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) on nepotism.

The National Election Commission (NEC) through a statement said the commissioners of its agency have decided to accept the BAI investigation into the alleged preferential hiring of high-ranking officials’ children.

“The decision was made to resolve the public’s suspicions as quickly as possible and to focus in preparing [for next years’] parliamentary election,” the NEC statement noted.

According to the NEC, all nine commissioners headed by Supreme Court Justice Rho Tae-ak voted in favor of the audit by the government agency.

The decision is a turnaround from the previous meeting held a week ago where the commissioners decided to deny the investigation by the BAI citing the importance of retaining its independence.

The NEC, however, on Friday made it clear that it does not agree to the investigation as it stressed that the inspection from an executive branch against an independent institution goes against the constitution.

“To make this clear, we have decided to file a competence dispute at the constitutional court,” the NEC noted.

The NEC has been at the center of controversy when top officials including its former Secretary General Song Bong-seop were accused of using their influence within the organization to get preferential treatment in hiring their children.

Song resigned after the allegations of nepotism were raised.

Since the issue first surfaced last month, the NEC has been attacked publicly on other issues as well including the possible cover up of North Korean hacking attacks as well as corruption and reckless spending.

The agency’s incompetence during the last presidential election, where plastic baskets were used to collect early votes from people with Covid-19, also resurfaced.

Despite the escalating controversies, the election agency had refused an audit by the BAI.

The NEC also on Friday announced the successor to Song 10 days after he quit.

It said it picked former employee Huh Chul-hoon as its new secretary general.

The new secretary general is a former employee, who left the NEC a year ago.

According to a statement released by the NEC, it chose Huh because less than a year is left before the parliamentary election and the organization need to be stabilized.

“The new secretary general needed to have past experience and also have strong morality and the will to reform the organization,” the NEC said in the statement.