Ruling and Opposition Parties Agree to Begin Discussing Special Counsel Bill for Election Commission

The Democratic Party and the People Power Party have agreed to process the bill for a 'Special Counsel for the National Election Commission.' The ruling and opposition parties decided to further discuss specific details, such as the scope and scale of the investigation and its duration.

Following President Lee Jae-myung's instructions, the Joint Investigation Headquarters (comprising police and prosecutors), which launched on the 9th of last month, began raiding the National Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, and election offices in Songpa, Gangnam, and Seocho districts on the morning of the 23rd. These raids aim to uncover the truth behind the ballot paper shortage during the June 3 local elections.

The government and the ruling party are pushing to abolish the prosecution's investigative powers, arguing that the prosecution, which holds a monopoly on investigation and indictment rights, decides whether to investigate and prosecute based on political interests. Special prosecutors, who are formed through political agreements and are heavily influenced by public opinion in their investigative momentum, are also criticized as being political investigations.