The Democratic Party has proposed a special prosecutor law to investigate the "shortage of ballots" incident that occurred during the June 3 local elections, designating the National Election Commission as the target of the investigation and specifying a third-party recommendation for the special prosecutor.
On the afternoon of July 9, Democratic Party spokespersons Kim Seong-hwa and Lee Joo-hee submitted the special prosecutor law to the National Assembly, with Han Byeong-do serving as the lead sponsor.
After the submission, Lee Joo-hee spoke to reporters about the rationale behind the proposal, stating, "We decided to propose the special prosecutor law to expedite the investigation in line with the ongoing push for a national assembly inquiry into the Election Commission."
Lee explained that the recommendation authority for the special prosecutor would be granted to a third party, saying, "The Korean Association of Law Professors, the Association of Law Schools, and the Korean Bar Association will each recommend one candidate. The president will then appoint one of them."
She further detailed the scope and duration of the investigation, noting, "Thirty prosecutors will be dispatched, along with 70 public officials. Five special prosecutors and 50 special investigators are expected to join. We aim to complete the investigation within 90 days after a 20-day preparation period. The proposal also includes provisions for extensions, similar to existing special prosecutor laws."
However, Lee clarified that it is unlikely individual public officials will be included in the investigation, stating, "The Election Commission is an independent body under the constitution. It is uncertain whether there will be additional matters to verify against the government regarding the work of an independent body. If any related officials engaged in problematic actions, they could be included in the investigation scope."
Additionally, the Democratic Party reiterated its call for cooperation from the People Power Party to ensure the swift processing of the special prosecutor law.
Lee emphasized, "The special prosecutor law for the Election Commission is something that the opposition party has actively advocated for. Naturally, we will prioritize discussions with the opposition party. The subsequent procedures in the plenary session may vary depending on the content and circumstances of the negotiations."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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