The Election Commission Denies Use of 'Ahn Cheol-soo New Party' Name... Ahn's Side Suspects Political Judgment

Former lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo is holding a press conference at the National Assembly on the 4th. On the same day, former lawmaker Ahn announced the "Working National Assembly Reform Plan." Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] The National Election Commission (NEC) on the 6th disallowed the use of the party name "Ahn Cheol-soo New Party."

The NEC held a plenary meeting at its Gwacheon office in the afternoon to discuss the permissibility of using the party name "Ahn Cheol-soo New Party" and made this decision.

The NEC explained this decision by stating, "Explicitly including the name of an incumbent politician in a party's name may not align with the purpose and essence of a political party," adding, "It is undesirable as it can induce undemocratic tendencies in the party governance order."

It further added, "The purpose, organization, and activities of a political party must be democratic, and the party must pursue responsible political claims or policies for the benefit of the people, which may not be consistent with including a politician's name in the party name."

Moreover, "Allowing a party name that includes the name of a politician who intends to become a candidate makes it possible to conduct de facto pre-election campaigning under the guise of party activities," and "This leads to a deepening of substantial inequality in opportunities, as it grants much more election campaigning opportunities compared to other politicians."

Additionally, "During the voting process, the candidate's name is written in the 'affiliated party name' section on the ballot, which can cause voters to confuse or mistake the incumbent politician (Ahn Cheol-soo) for the actual candidate, potentially distorting the voter's intention."

The NEC also cited the precedent of disallowing the use of the party name "UN Human Rights Ambassador Group for the Return of President Park Geun-hye to the Blue House" (Park Geun-hye Ambassador Group Party) as a reason for this refusal.

In response to the NEC's decision, the Ahn Cheol-soo New Party strongly protested, stating that it was "an excessive interpretation unrelated to the Constitution and infringed upon the freedom to establish a political party."

The Ahn Cheol-soo New Party issued a statement on the day, saying, "If a politician's name is widely known to symbolize their line, beliefs, etc., or is effective in representing such political direction, using a party name that includes that name falls within the freedom to use party names, making the NEC's decision difficult to accept."

They added, "We cannot help but suspect that this is a political judgment rather than a legal one."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.