ID :
203348
Wed, 08/24/2011 - 17:52
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https://oananews.org//node/203348
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Seoul's free lunch vote invalidated due to low turnout
SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- A closely watched free lunch referendum in Seoul was nullified on Wednesday, as voter turnout fell short of the legally required quorum of one-third of all eligible voters, officials said.
The final turnout was tallied at 25.7 percent after the polls closed at 8 p.m., according to the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission. Under the current law, the unprecedented vote is valid only if more than one-third of the capital's 8.4 million eligible voters cast ballots.
The nullification of the vote will likely cost conservative Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon his mayoral post as he previously promised to quit if turnout failed to reach 33.3 percent, possibly dealing a heavy blow to his ruling Grand National Party (GNP) ahead of next year's general and presidential elections.
A solemn-faced Oh said he will humbly accept the results, but he stopped short of saying when he will offer to step down as pledged.
"I deeply regret that we missed the precious opportunity to figure out the desirable direction for South Korea's welfare policy and future," Oh told a press conference, refusing to take any questions. "I accept the poll results. I thank the voters for participating in the polls despite difficult circumstances."
Oh plans to announce his position in the next couple days, mayoral spokesman Lee Jong-hyun said.
If Oh resigns within the next month, by-elections will be held in October to pick a new mayor. Until then, Deputy Mayor Kwon Young-gyu would temporarily run the city government as an acting mayor.
Embarrassed by the lower-than-expected turnout, the GNP blamed the opposition party's boycott campaign, saying it must take responsibility for the voided poll.
"Although more than 2.1 million citizens participated in the poll, the ballot boxes could not be opened because of the Democratic Party's boycott campaign," GNP leader Hong Joon-pyo said in a news conference. "The DP should be judged for trampling on the Constitution and limiting the people's right to vote."
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said that citizens' low participation in what it called a "bad poll" showed growing calls for more welfare benefits amid a widening income gap between the rich and poor.
"Free meals and universal welfare concern the people's livelihood," DP leader Sohn Hak-kyu said. "Seoul residents showed the way our society should head: toward the welfare state."
Seoul's liberal-leaning education chief Kwak No-hyun vowed to proceed with his plan to expand the free lunch benefits.
"Today, we have put an end to the long conflicts and fights over free lunch. From now on, the education office, city government and city council should cooperate and work from the viewpoint of students and parents," Kwak said in a news conference. "The results show that Seoul residents agreed welfare benefits should be given to all students in public schools, especially during the compulsory education period, regardless of their parents' economic status."
The presidential office was cautious over the potential impact of the nullified poll, playing down the referendum as a policy vote for the capital city.
"This referendum is a policy vote that asks Seoul residents' opinion about expansion of the free lunch program," a senior presidential staffer said, asking for anonymity. "It is not right to stretch the meaning of the poll results, linking them to the future political situation."
Backing Oh's position, President Lee Myung-bak, now on a trip to Central Asia, has repeatedly voiced concern about politicians seeking populist proposals ahead of elections.
With the vote ended in failure, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education can go ahead and provide free meals to first through fourth graders. It plans to expand the program for all elementary school students next year and middle school students in 2012, regardless of their income level.
Providing all elementary and middle school students in Seoul with free lunches is estimated to cost 433 billion won (US$400 million) annually.
The final turnout was tallied at 25.7 percent after the polls closed at 8 p.m., according to the Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission. Under the current law, the unprecedented vote is valid only if more than one-third of the capital's 8.4 million eligible voters cast ballots.
The nullification of the vote will likely cost conservative Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon his mayoral post as he previously promised to quit if turnout failed to reach 33.3 percent, possibly dealing a heavy blow to his ruling Grand National Party (GNP) ahead of next year's general and presidential elections.
A solemn-faced Oh said he will humbly accept the results, but he stopped short of saying when he will offer to step down as pledged.
"I deeply regret that we missed the precious opportunity to figure out the desirable direction for South Korea's welfare policy and future," Oh told a press conference, refusing to take any questions. "I accept the poll results. I thank the voters for participating in the polls despite difficult circumstances."
Oh plans to announce his position in the next couple days, mayoral spokesman Lee Jong-hyun said.
If Oh resigns within the next month, by-elections will be held in October to pick a new mayor. Until then, Deputy Mayor Kwon Young-gyu would temporarily run the city government as an acting mayor.
Embarrassed by the lower-than-expected turnout, the GNP blamed the opposition party's boycott campaign, saying it must take responsibility for the voided poll.
"Although more than 2.1 million citizens participated in the poll, the ballot boxes could not be opened because of the Democratic Party's boycott campaign," GNP leader Hong Joon-pyo said in a news conference. "The DP should be judged for trampling on the Constitution and limiting the people's right to vote."
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said that citizens' low participation in what it called a "bad poll" showed growing calls for more welfare benefits amid a widening income gap between the rich and poor.
"Free meals and universal welfare concern the people's livelihood," DP leader Sohn Hak-kyu said. "Seoul residents showed the way our society should head: toward the welfare state."
Seoul's liberal-leaning education chief Kwak No-hyun vowed to proceed with his plan to expand the free lunch benefits.
"Today, we have put an end to the long conflicts and fights over free lunch. From now on, the education office, city government and city council should cooperate and work from the viewpoint of students and parents," Kwak said in a news conference. "The results show that Seoul residents agreed welfare benefits should be given to all students in public schools, especially during the compulsory education period, regardless of their parents' economic status."
The presidential office was cautious over the potential impact of the nullified poll, playing down the referendum as a policy vote for the capital city.
"This referendum is a policy vote that asks Seoul residents' opinion about expansion of the free lunch program," a senior presidential staffer said, asking for anonymity. "It is not right to stretch the meaning of the poll results, linking them to the future political situation."
Backing Oh's position, President Lee Myung-bak, now on a trip to Central Asia, has repeatedly voiced concern about politicians seeking populist proposals ahead of elections.
With the vote ended in failure, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education can go ahead and provide free meals to first through fourth graders. It plans to expand the program for all elementary school students next year and middle school students in 2012, regardless of their income level.
Providing all elementary and middle school students in Seoul with free lunches is estimated to cost 433 billion won (US$400 million) annually.
