Since an election is held fairly in accordance with the execution of Public Official Election Acts(referred to as "P.O.E.A"; hereinafter in this study the same shall apply), the guarantee of fairness in elections should be ensured that fair and due pr...
Since an election is held fairly in accordance with the execution of Public Official Election Acts(referred to as "P.O.E.A"; hereinafter in this study the same shall apply), the guarantee of fairness in elections should be ensured that fair and due process of laws are related to the election as a presupposition. P.O.E.A concentrates and restricts contributions related to elections, because P.O.E.A considers contributions to be a primary factor in corrupting fair elections in Korea.
In a sovereign nation, when wealth is used to influence elections, fair elections are disgraced, and the will of the public for selecting candidates is distorted and the representative democracy system is threatened in itself. Therefore, desirable and necessary measures to punish crimes like giving and receiving money and goods in elections are much stricter than other crimes. However, as the Penal Provisions of Public Official Elections Acts come under the Criminal Law, it shall always not violate the law.
If there are some questions in the interpretation and application to the relevant laws and stipulations which include the penal provisions and requisites for constituting crime of P.O.E.A possessing the special character of the Criminal Law, it is likely to be against the precision in the principle of legality, and may give rise to problems in the fairness and effectiveness of P.O.E.A.
In the case of strictly interpreting election laws, we need some strict criteria of applying to laws, in other words, for ensuring fair elections and preventing any disruption of plutocracy, if we highly emphasize the purpose of making election laws and the necessity of punishment and strictly interpret election laws, something undesirable is likely to happen such an infringements on personal rights and is likely to be out of the law's limitation
This study that is about the Article 257 of P.O.E.A., the representative article of the Violation of Prohibition and Restriction on Contribution Act, practically find some expected problems and controversial decisions in applying to the article, propose the reform measures and contribute to legitimately execute the relevant laws.
Here are some reform measures that I suggest about the interpretation and application of laws related to the subject and object of contribution acts in this article. The first, to a candidate(including a person who intends to become a candidate; hereafter in this Article, the same shall apply), we need to establish criteria for the requisites of prohibition and restriction by taking a next election into consideration. The second, according to the Local Autonomy Act, with the exception of Contribution Act to the current head of a local government who has already taken the three consecutive terms of the office concerned. The third, if the subject of the restriction on any contribution act conspires with others, each one shall be applied to each relevant law according to his status in the election. After a candidate contributes money and goods as an executive of a company, and the subject of the contribution is clearly disclosed as a person who is related with the company. And then the contributions acts shall be regarded as Functional Acts. The forth, a subject of contribution who has relation with electors shall be decided whether the possibilities of the degree to influence on the decision making of the electors who are the opposite party of the contribution objectively is recognized, or not.
These are the reform measures regarding the interpretation and application related to the contribution acts. First, we shall manifest the definition of『contribution』which is a little ambiguous in the interpretation and application to P.O.E.A through making laws in the National Assembly. Second, both one's will to offer and promise to offer money and goods, banquets, or other interests for the election campaign to a person shall be interpreted with the true sense of the word, the other's confidence and expected possibilities. Third, the acts of giving a gift of money and other valuables by statutes, regulations and legal codes shall be limited on the only case that has legal grounds directly. Fourth, the acts by the party’s constitution and regulations in order to take some lawfulness not only shall the procedures and methods guaranteed by P.O.E.A not be against, but other related laws shall also not be against. Fifth, the acts by the articles of association, the statutes and usual practices shall be rightful acts regardless of any regulation in the articles of association under the condition that it has been forced by a usual practice. Sixth, as a general rule, ordinary foods like teas and cookies, which are kinds of refreshments such as snacks, rice cakes, scrolled rice with dried sea weed, drinks(excluding alcoholic drinks), etc. should be interpreted within the ordinary limits; Provided, that offering them by the place, time, price or meal(whether it is a meal or not), etc. shall be fully considered. If they are equal to ordinary foods, we could not prohibit them. Seventh, the criteria in paying money and gifts by methods which make it possible to estimate the names of candidates or political parties, shall be determined by the recognizable potential degree of acceptance for the candidate and political party. Eighth, whether it is lawful or not shall be decided by the campaign workers' allowance and travel expenses. If they are equally evaluated to the amount mentioned in the relevant laws and regulations, they are appropriate.
In the reform measures of circumstances precluding wrongfulness in contribution act, when such events occur in elections, basically they shall be interpreted and sentenced more strictly than any other law's violation except P.O.E.A., (supreme)court decisions and National Election Commission's decisions; Provided, that when we consider the subject of the act, time, content, method, object scope, aspect of act and other normal social usages, acts which are not regarded as contribution acts that are stipulated in the law, are equal to the degree limited in the law of Ceremonial Acts and Functional Acts could be interpreted more leniently by a generally accepted idea.
In the reform measure in the application of election law regarding the other election crimes related to money and goods, First, in the case of occurring contribution acts in a election, we need to consider the Corrupt Practices and Inducement by Interest preferentially. Moreover, to impose a fine for default to a receipter who is the opposite party in Corrupt Practices and Inducement by Interest, we should manifest the relevant regulations to change『in violation of Article 116』into『in violation of Article 116 or Article 230』. Second, effectively to regulate the acts of giving gifts of money and other valuables in intraparty competitions, we need to establish the Violation of Prohibition and Restriction on Contribution Act related to intraparty competitions.