There are some strange cases out there. The head of a local government in the provinces grants a private contract worth tens of millions of Won to a construction contractor who happens to be a family relative. When that becomes a problem, he argues that it "does not create a problem legally." He says he didn't know anything about a bribe received by his wife, and he avoids criminal prosecution on both. Eventually he does get arrested on yet other charges, but he works from prison and completes his term.
Currently the only action that can be taken against local elected officials and legislators for corruption are guilty verdicts. Unless the illegalities are clear, it is hard to hold someone legally responsible for giveaways handed out in time for elections, policy failures that waste taxes, and favoritism in making appointments. If the individual in question keeps holding out, there is nothing for voters to do but wait until his term runs out.
Corruption and irregularities in local government is very serious right now. Non-national elections were held for the first time in 1995, and during the first term period 23 local government heads were indicted for corruption, and during the second period of local autonomy some 60 were indicted for the same. The trend continues, because in the third period of local autonomy some 78 were arrested, 31.5 percent of the country's total number of heads of local governments. When you vote, you don't know whether you are voting for a hardworking elected official or a future criminal.
It is for that reason that civic groups have long been calling for the legal means to have recall votes, so that voters can judge for themselves what happens to their elected officials. Members of the National Assembly said they would introduce a recall system in time for the 2002 regional elections, but their promises turned out to be idle talk. This time around, the situation is similar. The ruling Uri Party said from the start that such a system should be a long-term goal and the main opposition Grand National Party said it isn't even worth talking about, but when pressure from civic groups started mounting they both turned around in favor of the idea in just a matter of days. The old sneaky tricks will not work ahead of these upcoming elections.
The Hankyoreh, 12 April 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] Keep Them To Pledge About Voter Recall |
