The NEC delegation participated in the 20^th Jubilee Conference of the ACEEEO (Association of European Election Officials), held in Budapest, Hungary on June 15~18.

The Conference was composed of:

∙ Plenary sessions with the themes of ‘Independence of Election Management Bodies(EMBs)’, and ‘Capacity Buildings in Securing the Independence of EMBs’;

∙ Workshops with the themes of ‘Democratic Guarantees and the Independence of the EMBs’, and ‘Operation and Activities of the Independent EMBs’; and

∙ The Elections Technology and Supplies Exhibition

NEC’s Chief Planning & Coordination Officer, Mr. Lee, Seong-Ryong, gave a presentation at the workshop with a title of ‘Democracy and Independence of EMBs- a Korean Experience’. In his presentation, he first introduced how democracy in Korea is evaluated by others, in which the NEC has been playing a crucial role in the democratic development. And then he reviewed the relationship between EMB type and democracy, concluding that an Independent type EMB is most effective for countries with a short history of democracy.

After that, he introduced the measures that guarantee the independence of the NEC, which are: first, check and balance among legislative, executive and judicial branch in the nomination of commissioners and the selection of chairperson; second, nationwide permanent secretariat composed of officials under merit system; and lastly, various powers of the NEC.

In particular, he emphasized that the independence of the NEC should mean substantive independence of power and capacity to supervise the whole process of election. This observation led to his conclusion that the leadership and role of EMB is important as its power and capacity may only be granted when an EMB request so or when politicians are pushed to do so by the people. Thus, an EMB has to mobilize people''''s support in pressing those in power and politicians so that the legislature grants such power and capacity to the EMB.

On closing note, he unveiled the plan of the NEC of Korea to organize a global conference of EMB leaders in 2013 and asked for the participation of those in attendance.

※     The ACEEEO was founded in Budapest, Hungary, with the collaboration of IFES in 1991. Six former socialist countries were present on the first symposium where these countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia) decided to set up the ACEEEO. 20 years have passed since then, and by 2010, the ACEEEO counts 24 member countries from the European region.