PM calls on officials to do their utmost to ensure fair elections

SEOUL, April 13 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Wednesday called on all election-related officials to do their utmost to ensure the fairness of the ongoing parliamentary polls.

While inspecting the election situation room in Seoul, the top policymaker said the government must make certain that voting and vote counting is carried out in accordance with the law.

"It is of the utmost importance that the entire voting process is conducted in a transparent and fair manner," the premier stressed.

He then said even the smallest mistake or oversight can lead to unnecessary controversy.

"Particular attention should be paid to dealing with sudden blackouts or problems in the communication network," he said.

The quadrennial polls will elect a new 300-member National Assembly whose term starts on May 30. South Korea's parliament is made up of 253 directly elected lawmakers and 47 proportional representation seats to be allocated to parties according to the total number of votes they receive. Each voter is asked to cast two ballots: one for a candidate and the other for a party.

The voting that began at 6 a.m. will end at 6 p.m. with the country's election watchdog expecting overall results to be tallied after 10 p.m.

yonngong@yna.co.kr
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