Both parties back parliamentary probe of election commission, but differ on scope

Both the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party submitted requests Thursday for a parliamentary investigation into the ballot shortage that occurred during the June 3 local elections. Once party leaders complete negotiations on the committee's composition and scope, the National Election Commission would face a parliamentary probe for the first time in constitutional history.

At Thursday's plenary session, the two parties submitted back-to-back investigation requests — one titled "Request for a Parliamentary Investigation into the Ballot Shortage and Election Administration Reform," and another titled "Request for a Parliamentary Investigation into the Ballot Shortage and Police Crackdown."

Both parties had filed their respective requests on Monday, each signed by all of their Assembly members, and agreed to hold Thursday's plenary session to formally receive them.

Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do said at a party policy coordination meeting Thursday that the party would schedule the next plenary session after the submission to adopt an investigation plan and "immediately get the special committee rolling." He added that the Democratic Party would "take full responsibility for the entire process — from uncovering the truth to holding those responsible accountable and preventing a recurrence."

With the requests now formally submitted, the two parties will negotiate to form a special parliamentary investigation committee. The committee will then adopt an investigation plan, and once the full Assembly approves it, the probe will begin in earnest.

Both parties agree that a parliamentary investigation is necessary, but significant differences remain over how the committee should be structured and what it should examine. The Democratic Party wants committee seats allocated in proportion to each parliamentary group's size, while the People Power Party is pushing for equal representation and insists the PPP should chair the committee.

Jeong Jeom-sik, the PPP's newly elected floor leader, said at a supreme council meeting Thursday that "a PPP-led parliamentary investigation — with the opposition chairing the committee and equal representation from both parties — is needed for a thorough inquiry into the truth."

The two sides also diverge on scope. The Democratic Party wants the probe focused on identifying the cause of the ballot shortage, determining whether any laws were broken, and drawing up measures to prevent a recurrence. The PPP wants the investigation to also cover the validity of the election results and the police riot unit's suppression of protesters.

Whether the parties can agree on a special prosecutor related to the election commission is another variable. Following the submission of its investigation request, the PPP on Monday introduced as its official party bill a special prosecutor act to investigate alleged irregularities in the June 3 local elections and violations of citizens' voting rights. The bill includes a provision giving the PPP the right to recommend two candidates, one of whom the president would appoint as special prosecutor.

The Democratic Party, by contrast, believes there is no rush to appoint a special prosecutor and that the matter can wait until after the parliamentary probe and a joint police-prosecution investigation. Rep. Park Gyun-taek told KBS Radio on Thursday that the truth would clearly emerge through the parliamentary investigation and a joint police-prosecution effort, and that pushing for a special prosecutor first amounted to a political attack. "If public suspicion grows further and people conclude the police-prosecution probe and parliamentary investigation cannot be trusted, a special prosecutor is always an option — but insisting on that first seems to get the order wrong," he said.

Floor leader Han also urged the PPP to stop trying to exploit the situation for political gain. "This parliamentary investigation is not a matter of political advantage or disadvantage," he said, calling on the PPP to "join forces in finding fundamental solutions — identifying the cause and reforming the election commission."

PPP floor leader Jeong fired back, saying the joint police-prosecution investigation body under the Lee Jae Myung administration "completely lost its credibility during the Unification Church gate probe, which amounted to nothing more than an investigation designed to protect Rep. Jeon Jae-soo." He urged the government and ruling party to "abandon the gimmick of a joint investigation body and accept a special prosecutor."