Iran names battle-tested commanders

South Korean investigators have launched a major investigation into the National Election Commission after allegations that officials altered voter turnout figures during the June 3 local elections. Authorities searched the commission’s offices on Thursday as part of a widening probe into what could become one of the country’s most serious election controversies in recent years. The investigation follows widespread problems that disrupted voting on election day. Dozens of polling stations ran out of ballot papers, creating confusion for voters across the country. The shortages occurred during the first nationwide local elections held after President Lee Jae Myung took office last year. The incident sparked public criticism, street protests, and growing demands for greater transparency in the country’s election system. The controversy also forced National Election Commission chief Roh Tae-ak to resign. President Lee responded by ordering a full investigation into the failures that affected the election process. Since then, police and prosecutors have been examining whether the problems were caused by simple mistakes or deliberate misconduct. According to investigators, there is evidence that officials from both the National Election Commission and the Gyeonggi Provincial Election Commission entered false voter turnout figures into the election reporting system. Authorities believe some staff members changed numbers without following the commission’s official approval procedures. Investigators suspect the changes were made to fix earlier reporting mistakes while officials waited for accurate turnout data from polling stations. Instead of correcting the figures through the required process, they allegedly adjusted turnout numbers across several voting locations to make the overall totals appear consistent. Reports suggest one example involved a polling station where officials accidentally recorded 1,000 voters instead of the actual 100. Rather than immediately correcting the mistake, investigators believe the excess figures were temporarily distributed among other polling stations with the expectation that later voter turnout would balance the totals. Authorities are now examining whether similar adjustments were made elsewhere during the election. Under the commission’s regulations, any correction to turnout figures must receive formal approval before being entered into the system. Investigators believe those procedures may have been bypassed in several cases. Officials leading the investigation confirmed that two election workers have already been placed under formal investigation on suspicion of falsifying official electronic records. Authorities are now trying to determine whether the alleged actions were limited to lower level employees or whether senior officials knew about or approved the changes. Analysts say the case has drawn attention to long standing concerns about oversight within South Korea’s election commission. Because the commission operates as an independent constitutional body, critics argue that its internal monitoring and disciplinary systems have not always been strong enough to prevent misconduct. The ballot paper shortages also affected voters directly. Data provided by the commission to lawmakers showed that at least 90 people were unable to cast their ballots because voting papers were unavailable at their polling stations. The controversy has also fueled political tensions. Supporters of former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who is currently in jail while facing trial on insurrection charges, have renewed claims that the country’s elections require closer scrutiny. Some far right groups have repeated allegations of foreign interference despite the absence of verified evidence supporting those claims. In recent weeks, university students have joined demonstrations calling for a complete investigation into the election commission. Protesters are demanding stronger safeguards to protect voting rights and restore public confidence in South Korea’s democratic institutions. As the investigation continues, authorities say they will examine every level of the election process to determine whether any broader misconduct took place.

Bangladesh’s parliament has elected veteran Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the country’s new president, marking another major development in the country’s political transition. The 78-year-old politician secured victory in a parliamentary vote on Thursday, defeating retired army Colonel Oli Ahmed, who was backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami-led opposition alliance. Chief Election Commissioner A.M.M. Nasir Uddin announced Alamgir as the winner after he received 255 votes against Ahmed’s 88. Alamgir is expected to take the oath of office on Friday evening. Although the presidency in Bangladesh is largely ceremonial, the president serves as the country’s head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Executive powers remain with the prime minister and cabinet. Alamgir’s election comes after the BNP returned to power following the February general election. The party and its allies secured a two-thirds majority in parliament, while BNP leader Tarique Rahman became prime minister. The presidential election was triggered by the resignation of Mohammed Shahabuddin, who stepped down last month citing health reasons before completing his five-year term. Shahabuddin, a former Awami League politician and close associate of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, had become president in 2023. Hasina left Bangladesh and moved to India after a mass uprising removed her government from power in August 2024. She has previously indicated that she plans to return to Bangladesh later this year. Alamgir is one of the BNP’s longest-serving senior figures. He served as the party’s secretary-general from 2016 until being nominated for the presidency. During the Awami League government’s rule, Alamgir emerged as one of the BNP’s most prominent opposition leaders. He faced several arrests and legal cases during his political career. His political journey began after he completed his studies in economics at the University of Dhaka. He initially worked as a teacher before entering politics. Alamgir joined the BNP in the early 1990s and gradually rose through its ranks. He later held several senior government positions and served as local government minister before leaving the position following his nomination for president. His election now places a longtime opposition figure in Bangladesh’s highest constitutional office as the BNP consolidates its political position following its return to government.