There mood is intense in Gunsan, Gyeongju, Pohang, and Yeogdeok a week ahead of local referendums on whether to compete for a intermediate and low level radioactive waste facility. It is of no small concern that there are claims that there have been illegalities in the absentee voting that began Tuesday.
"Anti-Nuclear People's Action," an umbrella organization of civic and environmental groups, held a press conference on Monday at which they showed video footage that allegedly shows neighborhood government officials in Gyeongju engaging in illegal activities. Absentee ballots are supposed to go to voters by registered post, but it appears hundreds of them have been sent to the local ijang, leading to suspicion that someone else voted with those ballots. Another allegation is that in one area locals who had registered to vote absentee were made to gather at a community center and vote in public.
The national government's attempt to build a storage facility for nuclear waste has gone in circles for 19 years. Someone died in Anmyeondo after it was selected to host the site and last year there were intense clashes in Buan after it was chosen. To avoid that kind of conflict the government came up with the idea of local referendums and astronomical aid in the amount of W300 billion. The idea is to have localities that applied to host the new facility vote on the idea and then choose the place where people are most in favor of having it built in their area. The national government has induced local governments into competing with each other.
Given how things have gone so far it looks like having one of these areas meet the minimum voting rate and approval rate will not be difficult. Considering the legacy of conflict over the construction of a radioactive waste site, however, it will not be enough just to have arrived at the predetermined approval rate. There has to be confidence in the local voting process, and that is why national and local governments must be particularly concerned about guaranteeing the fairness and reliability of the referendums. The allegations have to be investigated, and there has to be an effort to make the voting process as fair as possible.
The Hankyoreh, 26 October 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
