Void rigged primary election results

The second fact-finding committee investigating the rigged primary election of the minor opposition United Progressive Party announced probe results Tuesday, saying, “The primary was tainted with corruption from election management to onsite and online voting.” This is consistent with the results of the first committee’s investigation. Despite this, the party`s largest faction that includes Reps. Lee Seok-gi and Kim Jae-yeon have ridiculed democracy by saying, “The results of the second investigation are also poor and invalid.”

According to the second probe, the faction checked if party members cast their ballots 1,484 times in online voting, which accounted for 85 percent of the votes. The group used an IP of one party member 1,151 times to check those who did not vote. This is evidence showing the possibility of proxy voting. A party member even testified that certain members affiliated with the faction shared the list of those who did not vote to garner support for Lee in an organized manner. Dual and proxy votes were also detected in onsite voting, meaning 32.4 percent of the on-the-spot voting was invalid.

The primary was to determine the rankings of candidates for the party’s proportional representatives. As proportional representatives are elected according to the rankings, the crooked primary is tantamount to election rigging. This is why the election of Lee and Kim is unjust. The progressive party has decided that candidates for proportional representative seats who joined the primary, including Lee and Kim, must resign. With the two refusing to do so, however, the party is pursuing to expel them.

Lee and Kim had said in a statement, “We will take responsibility according to the second investigation results.” Yet Lee said after the announcement of the results, “These aren`t based on facts, so it’s inappropriate to mention my resignation.” Kim showed a similar attitude. The two have practically rejected stepping down. They are also pro-North Korea politicians, but their implication in the rigged primary alone shows that they are unqualified to join the legislature.

Members of the party’s largest faction refuse to admit their mistake though they caused the election rigging and violence and refuse self-reflection. Other lawmakers will not be willing to discuss democracy with the group in parliament. If the progressive party is swayed by the faction again, it has no future. If the main opposition Democratic United Party makes the progressive party its partner in an opposition alliance, this is a sure path to destruction. Lee and Kim are symbols of the faction. If they continue to resign, the National Assembly will step forward to unseat them.