Na Kyung-won calls on Democratic Party to accept special prosecutor probe into election fraud allegations

People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won said a special prosecutor investigation is necessary to resolve allegations of fraud and corruption surrounding the June 3 local elections, and accused the Democratic Party of attempting to destroy evidence by pushing for constitutional reform to dissolve the National Election Commission.

Writing on her Facebook page Friday, Na said election fraud and corruption "cannot be buried under a constitutional reform show" and that a special prosecutor must come first. She said the Democratic Party's move to introduce a constitutional amendment to dissolve the election commission without first accepting a special prosecutor probe "is no different from trying to destroy evidence."

Na was particularly critical of the timing. With the parliamentary investigation having barely completed its first briefing and hearings yet to begin, she said rushing to rewrite the constitution was "a textbook case of cutting off the tail" and "nothing more than a constitutional reform show designed to dodge responsibility and change the subject."

She went on to say that a thorough investigation of the facts through a parliamentary investigation and special prosecutor must come first. Once the full picture emerges, she said, a by-election should be held, those responsible should be severely punished, and only then should laws and systems be reformed.

Na also accused the Democratic Party of using electoral commission reform as a pretext to quietly insert provisions favorable to itself — namely a restructuring of the power structure and changes to the electoral system. "Stop playing games and accept the special prosecutor first," she said.