|
South Korea's left-leaning minor party apologized Thursday for alleged irregularities in parliamentary elections last month, as the scandal threatens to delegitimize the fledgling party.
Lee Jung-hee, co-chair of the leftist Unified Progressive Party, said the party leadership will take "political and moral responsibility" for the alleged vote rigging when party members cast ballots to select candidates for proportional representation.
The party's internal investigation revealed multiple ballots for online polls were cast from the same IP address, and that technical errors were ignored.
Unregistered voters for the party also cast ballots, indicating fraud.
The party, which fielded joint candidates with the main opposition Democratic United Party for the crucial general elections on April 15, gained 13 seats in the 300-member parliament.
While President Lee Myung-bak's conservative ruling Saenuri Party won an upset victory, the election result was considered a success for the Unified Progressive Party.
The party, whose leaders include former Welfare Minister Rhyu Si-min, was born less than a year ago through a merger among three progressive parties. |
